Chemical Exchange
by Capture
Summary: Set bw Skeleton Key and Eagle Strike. Alex is sent to CalSci College in the US. Teen students disappearing, but no one, not even MI6 nor CIA have any idea who to suspect. Working with FBI who are working this case.
1. Hostage

_**Chemical Exchange**_

_**Chapter One: Hostage**_

BANG!

The gunshot broke into Alex Rider's musings as his classmates quickly fell to the ground, hands over their heads along with Mr. Donovan, shaking with fear. While Alex had just remained in his seat.

After all, defusing a nuclear bomb and saving half the world from being contaminated by radiation that would continue to cause health problems for many generations to come, then rejecting the half-crazed Russian General as a father and watching him shoot himself, was a worst experience compared to simply hearing a gun go off.

The man that shot the gun had brown hair that was cut short; brown eyes; and badly in need of a shave, was wearing casual, faded-blue jeans with a red and white striped T-shirt. He surveyed the room, smiling, apparently satisfied with his work. With the fear he had caused within the group of kids and one teacher.

That was until, his eyes caught sight of an athletically built, 14-year-old teen with fair hair, sitting calmly at his desk.

The man looked at Alex incredulously. "Well kid, aren't you going to beg me for mercy and to spare your life?" he asked in a deep, gruff voice.

Alex merely stood up and started towards the man.

"Alex!" Tom Harris hissed. "What are you doing?"

"Don't worry Tom," Alex replied out the corner of his mouth and continued to the man, coming to a stop only when his chest was touching the tip of the gun.

"No, sir. I won't beg for mercy," Alex said to the man.

Man, this was supposed to be easy. Go in. Shoot a gun into the air. And hold a class of students hostage, long enough for his boss to make a point. But he wasn't counting on this. No-one was.

"My name is Alex Rider," the kid was saying. "What's yours?"

"Colin," the man blurted out, caught by unawareness.

"Nice to meet you Colin," Alex said pleasantly.

"You too," Colin replied. Geez, this was getting weird. Since when did a captive exchange pleasantries with his captor? Especially if the captor was holding a gun to his chest with the safety latch off.

Then again, unknown to any in the room, Alex Rider was not ordinary teenager, he was a spy that had worked for the MI6 on 3 separate occasions. His class mates were watching him in amazement.

Everyone in Brookland knew that there was something about Alex Rider that set him apart, but for him to act so differently to every other person at such an extreme action of hostage taking was absurd.

"So…Kid…" Colin started.

"Alex."

"Right…Alex. I have a gun pointed at your heart, and you won't beg for your life?"

"Hmmm. No!"

"Your life is in my hands kid!"

"Perhaps," Alex said with a shrug.

It was all Mr. Donovan could do to watch the interaction between Alex and the madman. Mathematics was one thing that couldn't help him in this position, but it was his passion. He would never be a genius mathematician, and he saw that potential in Alex.

Alex had been doing very well in school, high marks, and a quick grasp on new concepts, but ever since his uncle – Ian Rider – died, Alex had been away 3 times, returning with a doctor's not declaring that he had been sick, though Alex didn't look it. True, there were more bumps and bruises with each return, but he just didn't look sick. Well there was nothing he could do about it.

He had heard of a very gifted Professor of Mathematics teaching in CalSci College in the States, by the name of Charlie Eppes. Perhaps he could get Alex sent over there to work with Professor Eppes and enhance his abilities in maths. That way, Alex would surpass his fellow students in that area at least, so that his many absences wouldn't effect his learning in maths.

Mr. Donovan was planning to talk to Alex about this about this after class. That could wait. The most important thing now was to get out of this alive. So Mr. Donovan turned his attention back to the scene unfolding before him.

"Colin," Alex was saying. "Just as a matter of interest. Why are you doing this?"

"'Cause I am."

"Come on Colin. There's got to be a reason behind your actions."

"I won't tell." Colin's distress was becoming apparent in his voice.

"Won't or Can't?"

"Both!"

"Oh, come on. I'm just a teen. What can I do with the knowledge? I don't have a phone to call police with."

"They might." Colin gestured to the students behind Alex with his free hand.

"True, but they're petrified. Though the other classes may already have rung up."

"I won't tell." Colin was close to breaking point. He was the one with the gun. He was the one in charge. That was logic. But it was the kid that was in charge.

"You won't be able to stand it," Colin added.

"I can handle it Colin. Just tell me. Satisfy my curiosity."

"Fine. My boss wants to make a statement. He wants to control the government. He wants to manipulate the MI6 chief and Deputy. Happy?"

"Very." _Want to manipulate Blunt and Jones?_ Alex thought. _They're the actual masters of manipulation._

In the background police sirens began to wail, getting louder and closer, and finally coming to a stop outside Brookland School in London.

Colin swore, he was expecting police but not so soon…


	2. Interrogation

A/N: This story is something I've been meaning to write, a brain-child that was waiting to be born. I'm slow to update, but will try to do so at least once a week. Please be patient with me. Thank you.

_**Chapter 2: Interrogation**_

Thud! Thud! Thud! Footsteps were coming down the hallway.

"You know Colin," Alex said. "You have chosen a really bad room to capture. The windows on the left, your left, are open to the oval, and the doors are open windowed too."

"Shut up!"

The police negotiator opened the door cautiously and began with the usual talk.

"Stay calm. I am Inspector Cadwell. As you can see, I am unarmed…"

But that was as far as Inspector Cadwell got for Colin had grunted, then collapsed in a dead faint. Alex had pivoted and struck Colin in the stomach with a Karate backlash. Then as Colin had fainted, Alex stepped back and looked at the Inspector who was gawping at him.

"Is everyone OK?" Inspector Cadwell asked as soon as he recovered. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Alex answered.

"We're surviving." Mr. Donovan spoke for the first time since the attack.

"Well, I'll need to ask all of you to come to the police station with me." Inspector Cadwell cuffed Colin and radioed his colleges saying that everything was under control, and the perp was secured.

Alex and his classmates nodded, and followed the inspector out.

In the police station that he had visited after the incident with the crane, Alex and the rest of the class including Mr Donovan were showed into a private office of a high-ranking official.

The office was square with a neat desk, and hanging on the wall behind the desk was a squared framed, landscape painting. The room was set up in such a way that immediately made Alex think _Royal & General_. There were just enough chairs set up for everyone to have a seat.

Then, after a minute's wait, John Crawley walked in. _Why am I not surprised_ Alex thought.

Crawley was dress in his usual 'boring businessman' style clothing of a suit and a cheap tie.

"Hello everyone, I am Detective John Crawley. Make yourselves at home. Would you like anything to drink?"

"Err…No thanks sir. We're cool."

"Right. As you can probably tell, I am in charge of this case. So, I'll need to be asking for some details about the incident." Everyone nodded. "Well who's first?" Crawley said, scanning the room, eyes lingering on Alex.

"What about you Mr. Donovan? You are after all the teacher."

"Ok, sir. Usual maths lesson, I was teaching stuff on the quadratic formula when the man burst in and shot the gun into the air. Everyone, me included, fell to the ground, hands over our heads. Except for Alex Rider over there. He walked towards the man and started talking to him. Alex got the man to tell him his name – which is Colin by the way – and the reasons behind his actions. Alex seemed to have intimidated Colin. He seemed so unsure. Well I suppose that you know the ending. Inspector Cadwell came in to negotiate with him, but Alex knocked Colin out with a kick and Colin was arrested. And we were brought here." Mr. Donovan retold the happenings.

"Great! Now Mr. Alex Rider. Seeing that you were the one to wheedle out the information from this Colin. Would you do the honours and tell me the reasons behind his actions?"

"As you wish Mr. Crawley," Alex sighed. "Colin's reason was because his boss said so. And his boss' reasoning is that he wanted to make a statement, control the government, and manipulate the Chief and Deputy of the MI6."

"Crawley looked amused at the last reason Alex gave, and said. "Thank you! The information you have given us will be invaluable. You may now return. Alex Rider. Will you and Mr. Donovan stay behind? I wish to talk to you further about this. Please be patient while I escort the rest of your class out.

Crawley left the office, closing the door behind the class as they trundled out, leaving Alex and his maths teacher alone.

"Alex. I could have sworn that Crawley looked amused when you mentioned the boss wanting to manipulate our spymasters." Mr Donovan started.

"I agree."

"I was planning to talk to you after class, but I suppose I should just tell you now."

"Ok, go ahead sir."

"Alex, how would you like the idea of going to CalSci College in the US to work with prodigy maths professor – Charlie Eppes? I think that you'll do really well, otherwise I wouldn't ask."

"I don't know, I'll have to think about it sir."

"Sure thing."

"I say, it's a wonderful opportunity Alex." Crawley had just come in.

"Yeah, it would be, but school?"

Mr Donovan stared at Alex. Did he just mention he was concerned about school? If he was, they why all the absences?

"It doesn't matter. I'm keeping the two of you behind for more questioning. This time I want every single detail you can remember. Mr Donovan, you were the only adult victim and Mr Rider, you were the one to stand up to him."

So, Mr Donovan and Alex told Crawley what had happened in detail.


	3. Toys for Class

_**Chapter 3: Toys for Class**_

Once they had finished, Alex once again found himself seated in front of MI6 chief, Alan Blunt and Deputy, Mrs Jones, after a hasty "I'll think about it Mr Donovan," recounting the story once again.

"That's quite some adventure Alex," Mrs Jones said. "I think that you should accept the offer to study with Professor Eppes. There is a case that we want you to look into. Once again you will be working in the United States, but this time with the FBI."

Alex sighed, he was expecting this.

"What is it this time?"

Mr Blunt slid a folder across the desk towards Alex, while Mrs Jones unwrapped a peppermint and popped it in her mouth.

"CalSci College," Alan Blunt took up the narrative as Alex opened the file. "This is where Professor Charles Edward Eppes works. Recently, there have been teenage students who have been going there for extra lessons, and have disappeared into thin air, though only one at a time. The FBI are baffled and contacted the CIA to place a spy within the midst of the College, and they turned to us.

"Coincidentally, even though I don't believe in coincidences. The Fed in charge of this case is none other than Agent Donald Eppes, the Professor's brother. Another thing you should know, the two brothers are working together trying to solve this case. Professor Eppes trying to find a formula as to the pattern of times of disappearance, conditions of disappearance and so on.

"What you are to do is to infiltrate the college with your cover as Alex Rider the English Exchange Student, to study maths under Professor Charlie Eppes. Professor Eppes does not know that you will be involved in this case intermediately, nor do any of Agent Don Eppes' team for that matter. You will be reporting directly to Agent Eppes. Also, you will be staying with the Professor over your 3-month period as an exchange student.

"You will receive a more in depth briefing on this case once you arrive in New York, in about a week's time from now. See that you talk to Mr Donovan helping you catch up and advance you in the area of mathematics as much as possible during this week.

"One final thing, you will be picked up by the CIA when you arrive." Blunt finished.

"Ok, so basically I'm to infiltrate a College, rather like I did at Point Blanc Academy," Alex summarised.

"Yes, Alex, you hit the nail on the head," Mrs Jones said. "Now go to see Smithers, he should have some toys for you. Good Luck Cub."

Alex nodded and headed to Smithers' office.

Smithers sat behind his desk, straining to type on the computer in front of him. He looked up just as Alex walked in.

"Good you see you old Chap," he said.

"Hello, Mr Smithers."

"Right now, gadgets. I have a couple of them ready. Draws!" To Alex's amazement a draw from Smithers' chest of drawers behind him opened, and with it a black Swatch watch, a mobile camera phone, a pair of expensive Nike shoes, a hearing aid, a slim white laptop, a body spray and a student ID identical to the one Alex was carrying in his trouser pockets, appeared all propped up at an angle from the draw. _45 degrees_ Alex guessed.

"First up is this black swatch," Smithers explained, holding up the watch and handing it to Alex.

"I've always wanted one of those."

"Well you're in luck; the originally intended functions of this watch's predecessors have been specifically modified just for you. It is an audio transmitter, with a minuscule built-in microphone so you can get in contact with Agent Eppes if you can't us your mobile for some reason – which I'll get to shortly. See the time adjustment knob?" Alex nodded. "Just press that into the watch and hold for five seconds to activate, to deactivate, just press it again.

"Now, this hearing aid is useless should you be deaf, but it acts as a complementary piece to your new watch. It allows Agent Eppes to contact you should it be needed.

"The phone. As you can see Alex, it has a camera, we haven't done anything to modify that, however, what photos you take will be automatically transferred to Agent Eppes. It's also loaded with many goodies. The original phone has a built-in radio and MP3 player, but there have been modifications made to these. See the slight antennae? You point that at a door or window, and it will pick up the sound vibrations coming from that room. The MP3 program converts these vibes into speech. The earphones component is for listening to the converted speech. Dead useful for eavesdropping.

"Shoes. Time for new shoes Alex."

"I just got some."

"Well not like these. These shoes will change into rollerblades when you say _'blading away'_, they are programmed to recognise your voice, and so will only change if you say it.

"The body spray. Not saying that you stink or anything kiddo, is made of a substance that erupts as smoke upon contact with the air. The tube is fingerprint sensitive, so anyone other than you to use it will get an effect of a newly run out spray.

"Every student has one of these," Smithers said, handing Alex the ID card. "Well, not exactly one quite like this. On one hand, it is an ordinary Student ID card, but on the other, it is a blade and swipe card door opener. The edges are slightly tapering inwards to a shaper edge, the edge is then encased lightly with diamond edges, very sharp. There is a microchip processor integrated into the card, allowing entry to any swipe open doors.

"And finally our piece de resistance," Smithers said dramatically. Lifting up the slim, white laptop with reverence. "I would have worked on it more, but as it was only 4 days ago since we got the news. This baby is capable of hacking into any computer automatically, all you have to do is hook it up to the target computer or laptop, and run the spider solitaire program. It is fingerprint sensitive, with an additional feature Mr Blunt wouldn't be too happy with. If anyone other than yourself attempts to use it, the laptop sill detonate in their face, killing them instantly.

"That's it kid. Look after yourself Alex, old chap. Try not to get hurt too badly," Smithers concluded.

"Thanks Mr Smithers," Alex replied, and left through the door.


	4. Introductions

_**Chapter 4: Introductions**_

The next week flew by, as Alex took up Mr Donovan's offer and started to advance himself in the area of mathematics, and found that once he understood what was being said in the number sentences, he excelled at it. Maths was quickly becoming one of his more favoured subjects. Alex found he could submerge himself into the world of figures for hours on end.

So it was with great excitement that he had ended the week with, provided he didn't think about the mission that was coming up.

Alex arrived at Los Angeles airport, only to have to wait two hours to get through customs. Once outside the airport, a man in a chauffeur uniform approached him.

"Rider?"

Alex nodded.

"Follow me please." And the man led Alex to a rather comfortable looking car.

"Hop in."

Once in the car, the driver started the engine, and they drove in silence for a couple of minutes before the driver spoke.

"My name is Aaron Strong," he began. "As you have probably guessed, I'm an agent for the CIA. Sorry I can't tell you much, but I hope you enjoy your trip."

"Thanks Mr Strong," Alex replied.

The trip lasted for half an hour, when they finally arrived at a quiet part of town. Strong led Alex towards a high sky-rise building under the name of Crating Industrial Association. CIA.

Inside the building, Strong directed Alex through the door on the right. Upon entering, Alex noticed two men in the office; the office he found himself in was exactly the same as the Miami CIA Headquarters that he had been in only a couple of weeks ago.

Of the two men standing in the room, Alex immediately recognised Joe Byrne, the man that was about sixty, with grizzled white hair and moustache. The other man was wearing a suit rather like Crawley's, his hair was black and short-cropped, and wore a tired expression on his face. Probably from working too hard on the case.

"How are you Alex?" Byrne asked.

"Fine thanks," he replied.

"Thank you so much for agreeing to work with us once again. Might I introduce you to FBI Special Agent Donald Eppes? I'll hand the rest of it to over to him."

"Yes, well, as you probably know. Teenage students, students your age, have been disappearing from CalSci College," Agent Eppes began, clearly quite unsure of how he was supposed to address Alex, but definitely not like Turner and Troy were during his last mission. Agent Eppes was more accepting, but still, nevertheless, surprised at the sight of him, which was fairly well hidden, after the initial shock.

"Though we have a few leads on this case, such as; personality, and Charlie – my brother – is working on an equation for the disappearances or the like, but that's about it. We don't even have a suspect.

"You know you're here under the guise of an English Exchange student to study math under Charlie – which are true by the way – and lodgings are arranged so that you are staying with him at his house. That way seeing you in my company won't be quite as unusual, and you can report any findings to me without much suspicion.

"You have been given gadgets, as I understand, to help you do your job?"

"Yep"

"You know what you'll be doing. I'll try to get you into some of our conferences, as much as I can.

"OK. Let's get going, to my car.

"Thank-you Mr Byrne." Agent Eppes finished.

"You're welcome. Alex is a very good agent, despite his age."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Alex followed Agent Eppes to his jeep, and got in.

"Geez, this is weird. When I asked the CIA for them to put in a spy at the College, I never expected a child, even if the disappearances were of children from your age group. Oh, and by the way, Charlie doesn't know about his student being a spy, and I hope to keep it that way if possible." Agent Eppes said after awhile.

"Don't worry, I won't tell the professor," Alex replied. "You're handling it better than the CIA agents, I worked with a couple of weeks ago did."

"Thanks, well at least you won't be as suspected as an adult."

"Yeah, it has worked before. Worked so well in fact, that some maniac General wanted to adopt me." Alex failed to mention the fact that General Sarov had already known he was a spy when they met.

"Really?" Agent Eppes raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, really."

That exchange released the tension between them, and as they drove to the Professor's house, Agent Donald Eppes and Alex Rider became firm friends, and were on first name a basis with each other.

During the drive, Don briefed Alex on the students that had gone missing, while having conversations about baseball, soccer, softball, and the like. Intertwining the two aspects of the talk.

It was all too soon that Don turned into the driveway of his brother's house. The house itself was rather grand, brown bricked with a luxurious green lawn.

Don and Alex entered through the front door, and Alex was confronted with a very roomy hallway, leading into the lounge, dining room, and kitchen.

Don gave him a quick tour of the house, and just as they returned to the lounge, a man roughly in his sixties with grey hairs sitting on the sides of his head and a bald patch in the middle came through the front door and into the lounge. Followed by a younger man with dark curls crowning his head in a messy but rather elegant manner.

"Hi Dad. Hey Buddy," Don acknowledged the men, and at once, Alex realised that the young man was Professor Charles Edward Eppes, his maths teacher.

"Hey Don," the professor responded. "Just came back from the airport, but we didn't catch the kid. What's his name again?"

"Alex Rider, Charlie," Mr Eppes reminded his youngest son for the billionth time.

"I told you I was going to pick him up," Don said, after catching Alex's eye. "And I have him right here." Don placed his hand on Alex's shoulder, drawing attention to him.

"Oh, hello Alex. I'm Alan Eppes, their father," the older man said, gesturing to the two younger men.

"Please to meet you Mr Eppes."

"Alan. If you're living under this roof, call me Alan. I'll go insane if I was being called 'Mister' all the time."

"Sure, Alan."

"Hi kid. Umm…Alex. I'm Charlie Eppes, your soon to be math professor. Of course, by soon, I mean from my perspective. Perspectives of different things, people, et cetera, have different…"

"Ah Charlie?" Don interrupted. "I'm sure you'll be able to lecture Alex a little later."

"Oh, right. Well, hi."

"Hello Professor Eppes."

"Charlie. Please."

"Yes Prof… Charlie."

After the initial introductions, Don returned to his FBI office, and Charlie went into the garage to work on some mathematical equation or other. Alan left Alex to get himself settled in, but not before telling him not to hesitate to call if he needed anything.

It was a very warm welcome, and Alex felt as if he was a part of the Eppes family already.


	5. Professor Peach

_**Chapter 5: Professor Peach**_

Tuesday, the day after Alex arrived in Los Angeles, he found himself in Charlie's office. The office was square in shape, with many blackboards scattered around the room. It had many different items on the desks; piles of paper, worksheets, and files; toys of certain descriptions; and a large goldfish bowl, filled with, not fish – but lollies.

Alex noticed that the blackboards had many calculations scribbled hastily over them. He tried to decipher the symbols with no such luck.

"Would you like one?" Charlie asked, breaking into Alex's thoughts.

"Umm… One?"

"One lolly."

"Oh sure, the yellow thanks. What are you working on?" Alex asked gesturing towards the blackboards with his hand.

"Oh, they're rates of dispersion of certain items in certain places. I've assigned values for…" Charlie rattled on, explaining to Alex about the different symbols and equations.

After a while – actually two whole hours – of Charlie's ramblings, they were interrupted by a soft knock at the door, which Charlie was too caught up in his maths to hear.

"Umm… Charlie? There's people at the door."

No response, still explaining, oblivious to everything around him.

"Let me try," the man with sandy coloured hair said.

"Larry, I'd like to see you successful on the first time," his companion, a pretty girl with long, silky, black hair, challenged.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Amita," the man, Larry replied.

"You're welcome," Amita returned.

"Professor Charles Edward Eppes! Working on some interesting equation. What is it this time?" Larry turned to Charlie.

This time he heard, and responded.

"Err. Hi Larry, Amita. Didn't see you there."

Larry gave Amita a smug look.

"So, who's this charming young man, Charlie?"

"Oh, this is Alex Rider. The exchange student I told you about, or at least I think I told you about."

"You did Charlie," Amita reassured her former professor.

"Alex. This is Larry and Amita," Charlie introduced the duo.

"So I gathered," Alex muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

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By the time lunch started, Alex had been involved in the most eccentric conversations involving many unproven theories, and some famous P vs. NP problem, so famous in fact, that he hadn't even heard of it before.

Being part of that group, and seeing Charlie at work. Alex had the strangest impression. If they were shot at, trying to escape, in terrible danger, or the like, they could still go on talking about who knows what, as if nothing was happening.

The discussions could have gone through all of lunch, and had Amita not stopped them and reminded them of the time.

Alex gave a silent sigh of relief, he was starving.

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At the canteen, both Charlie and Larry grabbed the closest sandwich, and bolted it down their mouths, both were eager to return to their individual work, more time had passed during the headed discussion than either had liked. How they managed it politely was a mystery to everyone, including themselves, though they never realised it.

Amita, on the other hand, like Alex, took her time for lunch, enjoying what she ate.

Charlie finished first and with a quick "I'll see you back in my office once lunch has ended, Alex," returned to his office, closely followed by Larry returning to his office, in the Physics department. Alex had just sat down with his lunch.

Amita looked at him sympathetically.

"Charlie's well known for his obsession with math, but he's an absolutely wonderful teacher. You'll get use to him eating at the speed of light, just so that he can return to his equations."

Alex just nodded, looking around the crowded area, wondering who might be behind all those disappearances. Here he was in the open view of everyone in the college, should they be there, looking out for more teenage students to abduct.

After a while of companionable silence between Amita and Alex, she finished eating and returned to Larry's office, leaving Alex behind, alone, at the table.

A couple of minutes passed, as Alex continued to scan the room, only to notice that a blond lady with stunning blue eyes headed towards him.

Now if all the girls were like that. Not including Sab, of course. _Where did that come from?_ He thought. _Sabrina Pleasure is just a friend, that's all._

The woman arrived at his table.

"Do you mid if I join you?"

"No, not at all."

"I'm Professor Peter Peach, of the Chemistry department by the way."

She was giving him a good hard look, eyes cold and calculating. Alex watched her politely, wondering what she was thinking.

"Können Sie mich verstehen?" Peach asked.

_Can you understand me?_ Alex pretended to look blank, pretending not to understand what Peach was saying in German.

After a pause, which gave Peach the response she seemed to want, she continued in German.

"Good you can't understand."

"Pardon Professor?" Alex enquired in English. "What did you just say? I'm afraid I can't understand you."

"Oh, nothing you need to worry about Mr Rider."

Alex nodded.

How did she know his name? He certainly didn't tell her. Maybe she got it off the school database.

Alex decided not to push the subject, keeping in mind the need to possibly watch her a little closer.

Lunch ended, and Alex excused himself, returning to Charlie's office.

As he arrived at the door, Alex saw Don and Charlie talking, well Charlie was, and Don just looked plain lost.

"These variables here show that eh children have all disappeared while still on campus, and I am close to figuring out the patter of disappearance, by the equations of dispersion," Charlie was saying.

"OK buddy. Maybe if you come to the FBI office with me," Don suggested.

"Alex will be here any minute now. I don't want him to wait fruitlessly for me," Charlie replied.

Alex gave a soft cough, announcing his presence.

Charlie jumped. "Oh, Alex, you're back."

"Yes Charlie."

"You didn't happen to hear our discussion did you?"

"Some of it."

Charlie looked concerned at this revelation.

"Buddy, let's take Alex with us," Don prompted.

"This case is too dangerous. And he's a teen."

"Well, at least the perp will know he is associated with the Feds."

"I suppose."

Charlie finally agreed with Don, and the two brothers and one student got into Agent Don Eppes' jeep and drove to the FBI headquarters.


	6. Another Missing

_**Chapter 6: Another Missing**_

The journey to the FBI headquarters began with Charlie explaining about the importance of angles and how to be as accurate as possible.

"Angles help keep infrastructures up, and may help you out of tight spots, like if you're trapped somewhere and spy a hole in the roof, you can thus calculate the distance that you need to travel, or in this case, leap to get out, by finding the trig ratios, and an ability to judge the force used or to be used."

Alex nodded. He could use those calculations to aid his miraculous escapes from the mentally unstable criminals that the MI6 sends him after.

Don was probably thinking along the same lines as he was nodding, looking thoughtful.

Charlie, however, was not finished.

"For the most accurate estimations to come, well, there's neither shortcuts nor tips. Only that practise makes perfect. Let me introduce what will now be known as the angle game. I will point out an angle for you to estimate, and then you do likewise for me."

"OK"

"Let's begin. Angle of left tree branch to tree trunk."

A pause. Then:

"38 degrees."

"Not bad, it's 31 degrees."

"Might I suggest you stop your rather interesting game dear brother and his student," Don cut in. "I think Alex should be told who the watch out for."

"Sure Don," Charlie answered, he was more willing to tell Alex about the case now that he had been accepted into the fold. "Alex, while on campus, watch out for a person who is easy to talk to, friendly and sometimes rather remote and cold and calculating."

"Why?" Alex asked, while his mind was racing furiously. That teacher that approached him at lunch. What was her name?

"It's just a precaution, Alex," Don answered. "Megan, our profilist, came up with that description for a perp."

"Oh, OK," Alex replied, then muttered under his breath, thinking. "Easy to talk to, friendly, yet remote, cold and calculating. That teacher, the blond teacher with blue eyes. What is her name?"

"Hey Kid! Are you alright?" Don asked concerned.

Alex ignored him, frustrated. Then suddenly:

"PEACH!" Alex exclaimed. "Professor Peter Peach!".

"Kid?" Don asked.

"Peach? What about Peach, Alex?" Charlie added.

"I was approached by Peach after Amita left. And thinking about it. Peach fits the profile of your perp."

"You sure about that Kiddo?"

"Yeah Don, I'm certain."

"Well, watch out for yourself, but try not to let Peach know we're onto his case," Don said, then turned to Charlie, continued. "Charlie, what can you tell me about Peter Peach?"

"All I can tell you is that Peter Peach is a Chemistry professor, who got very good marks in Chem., obviously. That's about all that I know about her. Though Larry is probably more in acquaintance with Peach. As a physicist, he'll probably have worked with her, as a chemist, as a physicist does," Charlie explained.

"Hang on a minute! Her?" Don was surprised. "Peter Peach is a female? Are you sure about that Alex?"

"Yes Don, Peach is a female. And yes, I'm sure. I'm more than sure, I'm certain." Alex was agitated.

"One thing Alex, nothing is completely certain, except some of the, she we say, exceptions to the rule. You are confident," Charlie clarified.

"Charlie, I don't care, so long as Peach is a plausible suspect," Don said, as he pulled into the tall FBI building. They had arrived.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Upon entering the fifth floor, first office on the right, Alex was greeted with a large cluster of desks and narrow aisles, it was amazing how the Feds managed to manoeuvre about.

Don lead the way to his cluster of desks and turned to David, a South American agent, who was at the moment snoozing with his feet up on his desk.

"David. David!" Don yelled.

THUMP!

David landed on the ground.

"Yes Boss?" David asked sheepishly from the ground.

"See what you can find out about Professor Peter Peach of CalSci College," Don said, looking annoyed, while Charlie and Alex were trying to stifle the huge grins that were becoming apparent on their faces.

"I'm on it Don," David said.

At that moment, a blond woman with hazel eyes entered.

"Don, you're back. Hey Charlie," the woman's eyes rested on Alex.

"Hey Megan," Charlie called in greeting.

"Megan, this is Alex. Alex, Megan," Don introduced them to each other.

"Hi," Megan and Alex chorused.

Megan turned to Don.

"I don't mean anything, but Don. Alex is listening to case details."

Don shrugged, unconcerned, "I didn't tell him any of the old details in the backgrounds, nor discoveries. Besides, you can trust him."

"As you say Don. He does act totally trustworthy."

"Megan's a shrink," Charlie explained.

"So Megan, what saw you rushing in breathless just a while ago?" Don asked, distracting Megan from her retort.

"Another Missing."

A/N: Here's another chapter, I hope you've enjoyed it. It's shorter than usual, but this seems a plausible place to stop. Please, give me some feedback on what you think of it, if you have any ideas on how I could improve my writing don't hesitate to tell me.


	7. Offer

**_Chapter 7: Offer_**

Chaos erupted in Don's cluster of desks. Chairs squeaking as they were pulled back. Files and paper were flying as they searched for the correct bits of information. Fingers flying over keyboards. Charlie was mumbling incoherently about some theorem or another. Somehow, amidst all this confusion, Don managed to make himself heard.

"David, you're going after Peter Peach, anything you can find. Colby, you go with him, and see if you can find out if the missing persons have had any contact with her. Megan, prepare a file with all the details of this disappearance, and give it to Charlie as soon as possible."

Everyone scrambled about getting to their tasks, but not before Colby asked, "Peter Peach? How did you get him as a suspect?"

"Her, Colby. The agent, that the CIA planted, started to suspect after an incident over lunch," Don replied cautiously, this time avoiding eye contact with Alex, and Alex did the same.

That night, Don and Charlie were discussing the new developments of the case. It was fortunate that when Don had mentioned the CIA agent or "agent CIA planted" as he had described Alex, Charlie had been deep in thought and missed the answer.

When out of the blue, Alan said, "Tell us about your family Alex."

Don and Charlie immediately stopped talking, and a hush descended over the table, interest peaked, even after three days association, they didn't know anything about his background.

Alex put down his knife and fork, having finished a scrumptious dinner of roast beef and gravy. Alan was a wonderful cook.

"My parents died in a plane crash when I was a baby, and a couple of months ago, my uncle died in a car accident. Now I'm being looked after by Jack – my housekeeper and close friend," Alex answered truthfully.

There was another silence where the Eppes family took this in

"Sorry to here that Alex," Charlie said, and he meant it. He had, after all, lost his own mother not so long ago, and had coped with it by ignoring everything else and immersing himself into the world of numbers.

"I've adapted," Alex reassured them.

There was another pause, which was later, once again broken by Charlie.

"Let's play the angle game."

Alex complied, and so Don and Alan blocked them out, automatically, having experience this so many times before with Charlie.

Lunchtime again, the next day, Alex once again met up with Peter Peach, all seeming a coincidence. In the background, he could see David sitting at a table, supposedly reading a newspaper, but presumably watching them closely.

David looked up and caught Alex's eye, gave him a quick nod and returned to his paper.

"Hello Alex. This is my assistant Jane Munchie." Peach gestured to the rather grim looking woman, wearing thick-rimmed glasses, standing behind her.

"I have an offer for you," Peach was saying. "How would you like to study Chemistry with me?"

"That'd be great, but I still want to take Professor Eppes' classes," Alex replied.

"Oh well, you could possibly take the two lessons," Peach insisted.

"Yeah, sure Professor. I'll need to figure out a time with Professor Eppes," Alex agreed. "I'll get back to you asap."

"That's the best anyone can do." Peach was upset, and it showed.

Alex came to a stop in the doorway of Charlie's office. Charlie was scribbling, as usual, on his blackboards, still working on the dispersion equations, which was now obviously for the case at hand.

"What are the new equations?" Alex asked.

Charlie jumped and looked around.

"Oh I might as well tell you Alex," Charlie sighed. "Was never good at keeping secrets anyway, unless they had to be kept of course."

So Charlie explained the new equation, going so rapidly that Alex barely had time to register what Charlie had said. Alex gave a silent "thank you" to Mr Donovan, it was thanks to his maths teacher back at Brookland that he could follow the Professor.

After a minute of Charlie's talking, Megan walked into the office, bringing summons from Don to go to the Bureau, along with Alex.

Upon arriving at the Bureau in Megan's car, they headed straight to the clear window encased room. Don waited until the newcomers had seated themselves.

"Ok guys, Megan is going to brief you all on Peach. Putting together all the details that you guys have dug up. Alex, you should know this, as I understand that you were approached by Peach earlier today," he said, then sat down.

Megan stood up and took over.

"There isn't much we know about Peach's childhood. Her mother supported the family and her father was an alcoholic. She did very well in school and especially excelled in Chemistry, as you can see."

Megan showed the appropriated slide with Peach's results on the data projector screen.

When she went to college, she met Professor Medley, who was pleased with Peach's skills, and appointed himself her mentor. It was through him that she met Jane Munchie, who is now her lab assistant, and the two of them became firm friends. Nowadays Peach teaches as a highly esteemed Chemistry Professor at CalSci College."

Megan finished, and sat back down again.

Don stood up and readdressed the audience of Feds, his brother and Alex.

"So that's something new to add. We now have a suspect and in addition to what Megan has just presented, we know that Peach is shifty, acts friendly and is cold and calculating."

"I just met Jane Munchie, and she's probably in on it. Munchie was really weird," Alex spoke up.

All heads turned his way. The agents had forgotten about him throughout the speech. Alex started to feel conscious of himself, regretting that he had spoken up. Afraid that he had blown his cover, even if it was only within the Feds that were working the case.

Megan nodded, looking thoughtful.

"They were, are, best friends, and Peach's friendly manner would mean that Munchie would have been let in on it. Nice job Alex. We have a budding young agent seated amongst us," she said. Oblivious to the fact that she had hit uncomfortably close to home.

Don and Alex subconsciously made eye contact.

"Speaking of Munchie," Colby added. "I'm getting the munchies. Don dismiss us will you." Pulling out a packet of peanuts and munching on them.

"Dismissed," Don said, shaking his head.


	8. Decision

_**Chapter 8: Decision**_

There was a complete silence for the whole duration of the journey back to Charlie's house. Each of them deep in his own thoughts.

Alex was going over what he had just learnt about Peach in his mind and thought about the offer he had just got earlier that day, or was it earlier that year. So much had happened. Why did he always have to go up against the people that had a bad past, or were just plain mad?

He went about deciding whether or not to accept the offer. But in the end, he knew he had to. It was his job, even if he didn't like it, and as much as he didn't like it, Alex wanted to see it to the end. He had been told about the kids, and had sympathised with them. Alex also didn't like Peach, and more so, Munchie. They gave him the creeps; at least Peach was attempting to be friendly, and managed it well. But Munchie was just plain freaky.

It was a blur when they got to Charlie's home, Don was driving on autopilot. But once they arrived, everyone was immediately roused from their musings and entered the house to a waft of Alan's cooking.

Charlie went straight away to his chalkboards in the garage, and Alex and Don went to the lounge and turned the TV on to a baseball match that was being broadcasted live. After a pause, Alex turned to Don and proceeded to tell him of his decision.

"Don, Peach offered me a place to be one of her students, and I'm going to accept. I'm going to still take Charlie's maths classes as well," Alex said.

"Did I hear you correctly Alex?" Don asked. "You want to take that class? You want to take that class from the daughter of a drunken German immigrant that didn't know English, an illegal immigrant?"

"Also her mother is an American born citizen. But no, you didn't hear wrong. I might as well get as close to Peach as possible," Alex elaborated.

"We have David trailing her," Don tried once more to dissuade Alex, but he was not to succeed. Don had grown fond of him during the time of their short association, and didn't want Alex to get into trouble, even if that was part of his job description.

"Yeah, well, I'll be doing my job, as much as I hate it. That's what I was called in for right?" Alex replied.

Don nodded reluctantly.

At that moment, Charlie entered the lounge, deep in thought, looking for something.

"Charlie?" Don called.

Charlie gave no response.

"Charlie?" Don called again, louder.

Still nothing.

"Charles!" both Don and Alex shouted together.

Charlie jumped.

"Sorry guys. Thinking."

"That's fine Buddy," Don assured Charlie.

"I think you have a right to know this," Alex started.

Charlie turned his attention to Alex.

"I have decided to take up Peach on her offer to study her Chemistry classes, as well as taking yours."

"What about the FBI file, description, about Peach?" Charlie asked concerned.

"I remember," was Alex's only response.

"It's really risky considering that we don't know what she's doing and there a re many chemicals around. The risk factor is round about 80 per cent," Charlie explained in an effort to dissuade Alex.

"How did you work out those probabilities?" Alex distracted Charlie.

Charlie led Alex and Don to the garage and started on the explanations. Alex and Don, however, only used Charlie's talk to cover their own conversation.

"If you need back-up, call me," Don was saying.

"Yeah, I will. But if I'm captured, I may be more of a help," Alex said. "One recurring pattern I've noticed is that the bad guys always seem to go into their bad guy rant about the plans, to me anyway."

_Recurring pattern_. Don thought. _Must be Charlie rubbing off on him._

Out loud, Don said, "I don't like the idea Alex."

"Got others?"

There was a pause then Don slowly shook his head.

"I haven't got any others."

"There you go. Well I'll tell you that I don't like what I have to do anyway," Alex said. "I'll keep you updated Don."

"Be careful Kiddo."

"Will do."

"Thanks Alex," Don said, and left for his apartment.

Alex turned his attention to Charlie's speech and actively took part in it. Once Alex understood well enough to Charlie's satisfaction, Charlie stopped and turned to talk to Alex.

"Alex, seriously, don't do it."

"Do what Charlie?" Alex asked, feigning innocent puzzlement.

"Peach's class."

"I want to learn some Chem. as well," Alex replied, and it was true.

"Alex, leave the crime fighting stuff to Don. Keep yourself safe," Charlie was seriously concerned, and didn't hear Alex's answer. "It'd be a greater risk for you to get involved, than for Don to bust Peach. As the numbers show."

Alex smiled. "I don't know about leaving it all up to Don, but I will keep myself as safe as I can."

"Don's good at his job," Charlie wasn't giving up without a fight.

"I know he is," Alex replied.

"Let him do his job without having to worry about you," Charlie persisted.

"Of course I'll let him do his job," Alex said. "But I also need to do mine." He was contemplating to tell Charlie his role in this whole matter.

"Alex, you're job's to learn."

"And I'm learning for you, Charlie."

"You know what I mean."

Alex sighed, "I know." Deciding not to tell Charlie in the end.

"DINNERTIME!" Alan called from the kitchen; bring both teacher and student back to the present.


	9. Acceptance

**_Chapter 9: Acceptance_**

Friday, two days since Alex had announced his acceptance of Professor Peter Peach's offer to the Eppes brothers, and both had tried their best to dissuade him. But Alex was adamant in his decision. There was something wrong with Peach and Munchie, and he wanted to find it, to see it through.

So, at lunch, Alex went to Peach's office to tell her about accepting the study offer. Alex arrived at the office door only to find it locked and looking in through the windowed door, he say Peach and her assistant deep in conversation.

Quickly, Alex ducked back, not wanting to be seen. He took out the mobile phone Smithers had given him almost two weeks ago, and pointed the antennae at the door. Alex switched to the MP3 component, and started to eavesdrop.

They were talking in German.

"We're low on test subjects Peter."

"So we're just going to stock up on them. Who's next?"

"Frank Willows."

"Ah, yes. The fat kid," Peach said.

Alex could imagine her nodding thoughtfully.

Then, footsteps. Getting louder. Conversation stopped. The abrupt lack of speech was unnerving.

Suddenly, out of the blue.

"Scabbing."

It was spoken with such roughness, that Alex was thrown off balance. There was something seriously wrong. It sounded as if the speaker was neither Peach nor Munchie, but they were alone. It had to be one of them. Besides, how did scabbing relate to being low on test subjects?

Whoosh! Peach's office door was suddenly wrenched open. Munchie's head appeared around the corner, and Alex, startled out of his musings, had no time to put his phone away. So he did the only thing possible. Alex pretended to listen to the MP3 music files.

"What do you want?" Munchie asked Alex gruffly.

"Um… Is Professor Peach in?" Alex replied, taking out his headphones.

"Professor, Alex Rider is here to see you," Munchie told the Professor, who was sitting behind her desk.

"Come in Alex," Peach called.

Alex entered the office, it was set up rather like Charlie's, minus the organized chaos that Charlie had set his movable items in, but neat and tidy – everything had its place. There was a bookshelf or rather two separate ones lining the back wall, and files and piles of work were stacked neatly on the desks.

"Professor, he was listening to MP3 music," Munchie told Peach in German.

"So?"

"He has a hearing aid."

"The hearing aid helps him to hear the music."

"As you say Professor." Munchie walked out of the office.

"Yes Alex?" Peach turned to him, speaking in English now.

"Ah, yes. Professor Peach, I'd like to take your Chemistry classes, but for every second day, beginning next Tuesday," Alex replied.

"I must be dreaming. Never got a kid as a student before. Good for experiments. He'll be a willing subject," Peach muttered to herself in German, forgetting Alex's presence in the room.

Alex politely waited for her to finish.

Finally, Peach turned around.

"Yes Alex, that's a very good arrangement."

Alex returned to Charlie's office only to hear Larry talking to Charlie, while he was working on the dispersion formula.

"Chemicals can travel through the bloodstream and the lymphatic system and act on neurotransmitters or just the neurons themselves. They have to enter the body some way, the most obvious method is though the mouth, but it can also be absorbed through the pores of the skin. Each different chemical has different rates of affecting the body," Larry was saying. "That looks like what you're working on Charles."

"You aren't happening to be talking about me are you?" Alex interrupted.

Charlie turned around and said "No!" a little too quickly.

That evening, over dinner, Don had been talking once again about the case.

"Something else fellas," he said as he sat down. "Surprise, surprise. There's another one missing. Yet, again."

Quickly Don filled Charlie and Alex in on the details, whilst Charlie added in and changed a few of the variables, and at the same time, performing that marvellous trick of eating rapidly, but politely.

Alex was silent all through the exchange and Alan noticed.

"How was your day Alex?" he asked.

"Great, got some things done very well, Alan," Alex replied casually, thinking of Peach.

"That's good," Alan added.

Charlie looked up.

"Yeah, Alex is going really well on the subject. I'm planning to begin on judgement of force. How much you may need to leap from one place the next, how much for to break the object, and the estimation of force by feel and sight," Charlie said, completely misinterpreting Alex.

"That'll definitely come in handy," Alex muttered more to himself.

Dinner ended and each went their own ways: Charlie to the garage; Alan to the kitchen, packing up; Don and Alex to Alex's bedroom. It was "Report Time".

Alex closed the door behind Don and himself as they entered the squared shaped room, which Alex was occupying during his term as an exchange student. There was a single bed in the centre, leaning against the wall opposite the door. A reddish brown, birch wood desk stood in the corner, covered with pieces of paper scattered all over the place, and Alex's laptop sat on top of it.

Ignoring all of this Don sat on the chair and Alex on the bed.

Don started. "There hasn't been much progress lately. Nothing new with Peach, but then again, there's no way David could be seen around her office most of the time. And you've just heard about Frank Willows' disappearance. How are you going?"

"I, on the other hand, have had more luck. Peach has accepted me into her Chemistry class today, of course – seeing that she was the one who asked – and so, I'll be in her classes every second day, beginning on Tuesday," Alex recounted. "There's something else. When I was outside her office, waiting to see her, I overheard something rather interesting."

Don leant forward. Curiosity peaked.

"Go on."

"Using the eavesdropping equipment that Smithers gave me, I was able to listen to an exchange between Peach and Munchie. They were speaking in German, as usual, about being low on test subjects. They also mentioned Frank Willows. Then some rather weird voice said 'scabbing'. And when I was finally admitted into the office, and I told Peach of my decision, she ended up going on about willing subjects."

"Whoa. Slow down. You mean, Frank Willows, the kid that disappeared, was mentioned by them?"

"Yeah. They're really weird. Better keep an eye on them."

"We've now got some very good leads, thanks to you Alex," Don said. "So, when are you going to tell Charlie about your new classes?"

"Tomorrow," Alex answered.

Don left, and Alex went to join Charlie in his garage, where all four walls were completely covered with chalkboards that Charlie had set up, hanging on the walls. There, Alex found Charlie rapidly scribbling across a one of them. Charlie looked up, and saw Alex, then on an impulse, started explaining.

Once Charlie had finished. Alex pitched in and gave a suggestion.

There was a look of astonishment that flashed across Charlie's face.

"It could work!" he exclaimed, and hurriedly changed some equations here, a symbol there, and went ahead to solve the problem, with Alex watching.

They had made some real progress.


	10. Equations File

**_Chapter 10: Equations File_**

It was a Saturday, a day where students were meant to stay at home, but it was one of the rare weekend, that CalSci College was fully operating. Alex was with larry for the day, learning about force, and Issac Newton's three laws, while Charlie was at the FBI conference room, lecturing Don and his team about the patterns at which the disappearances seem to occur.

Amita was walking along Larry's corridor towards his office to collect an assignment. When suddenly, a scream erupted from the direction of the foresty section of the Campus. Larry and Alex came running out of the office, meeting up with Amita in the corridor and with an unspoken agreement, the trio sprinted towards the scream, and say a student dashing away from the forest in a frenzy.

"What happened?" Amita asked, stopping her.

The student pointed at the forest with a shaky finger, and mouthed "Anna Wales," looking scared.

"Didn't she go missing?" Larry asked.

"Yeah," Amita answered, while Alex told the student to say. Amita went to comfort her, and Larry took out his mobile and called Don.

By the time Don and his gang, along with Charlie, arrived, and the area was fenced off. Larry and Amita looked around, only to find that Alex had disappeared from sight.

During the time when Larry and Amita weren't paying Alex their attention. He had taken the opportunity to disappear into the forest, and was now staring at Anna Wales' poor corpse.

"It doesn't look natural," Don said, appearing behind Alex.

Alex nodded thoughtfully.

"Peach mentioned 'good for experiments' when I asked to take her class," he said.

"So you're saying that Peach does experiments on the vanished teens?" Don asked.

"A plausible explanation," Charlie spoke up, having just joined them, and overheard the last part of the conversation. "See the uneven stages of scabbing? And see how the patches of scabs are larger than usual? It isn't natural, I agree with Don. And chemicals would explain a lot."

"Great! Now we should find out what chemicals caused the scabbing," Don replied, already contemplating his next move.

"Alex, you shouldn't be here," Charlie said, turning to Alex.

"I just had to see for myself," he replied, and left to rejoin Larry and Amita outside the police barrier.

That night over the dinner table, Don was still at the Bureau working on the case, Alex broke the news to Alan and Charlie.

"I've got a place in Professor Peach's class. I'm to be attending them every second day," Alex said quietly.

"Are you crazy Alex?" Charlie exclaimed.

"Yeah, probably," Alex shrugged. "I'll still be taking your classes though."

"Can't persuade you otherwise, can I?" Charlie asked sadly.

Alex smiled. "Sorry," he apologized.

"Then I'll have to give you a few extra lessons tomorrow," Charlie added good humouredly.

"But it's a Sunday," Alex groaned.

"That's right."

Alex had woken up at 11.30 the next day, and found Charlie by his beloved koi pond in the large garden, once he had finished getting ready. The garden was all neat and tidy, the handiwork of Alan, who was a keen gardener. The grass was green and luxurious, and the garden beds were lined with many different exotic flowers, that Alan had maintained over many, many years. Alex walked up behind Charlie, and startled him.

"Oh!" Charlie jumped and looked around as Alex tapped him on the shoulder. "You're up, good." With that, Charlie lectured Alex about force, re-enforcing what Larry had told him yesterday, and then moving on to the judgement of force in Newtons – the units of measurement – and the more mathematical side of it all. This went right up until lunchtime, when Alan came out with a tray, and Charlie broke for the lecture, proceeding to play the angle game.

They had not got through three rotations when Don joined them with a file. Which he handed over to Charlie.

"I'll get it back to you asap," Charlie said.

"Thanks Buddy," Don replied.

Charlie turned to Alex and introduced him to the "Force Game".

"This came is basically the angle game, where you guess how much force an object can take."

The game was played until the end of lunch. After lunch though, Charlie set some exercises for Alex, and returned to his garage, and co-incidentally, his problems.

Monday on Campus, Alex was doing more set exercises whilst Charlie went to find Larry. It was then that Peach entered the office.

"Alex, where's Professor Eppes?" she asked.

"He just went out, sorry," Alex replied.

There was a pause as Peach was thinking.

"Then perhaps you can help," she said after a while, handing the file to him. "You are, after all, his student."

"And yours," Alex added.

"Back to these equations," he said, flipping the file open. "I can try, but I can't promise results though."

"I have faith in you Alex."

Peach walked to the door, and at the last minute, turned back.

"Oh, and don't show Charlie that file." Then continued walking away from the room, but before she could completely get away, Charlie returned.

"Hey Professor Peach," he said in his usual cheer. "What can I do for you today?"

"I was just telling my new student not to be late."

"Alex's a good student."

"I know, see you around."

"Likewise"

"Don't worry Professor, I won't be late, no if I can help it." Alex called after her.

Peach smiled, and left the office with a wave of her hand.

As soon as Peach was out of earshot, Charlie closed the door.

"What was that about?" he asked Alex.

"Nothing important." Alex gave the door a quick glance.

"Ok," Charlie answered slowly, and the two of them went back to their individual works.

At the end of the school day, Don came around and picked Charlie and Alex up. Once they were safely driving away from the campus, Alex picked up the file from the seat next to him and handed it to Charlie.

"Peach gave it to me when she came into the office," he said as a way of explanation.

"You said she didn't want anything," Charlie said, confused.

"Well, she didn't. Peach said I wasn't to tell you Charlie, and I'm not, I'm telling Don, you just happen to be within earshot. Besides, she could have been eavesdropping."

"Can't be too careful," Don added.

Charlie looked at the file.

"I should be able to work these out in a couple of days," he said at last.

"How long will it take to duplicate them?" Don asked. "It's better if Peach doesn't know that we are informed about the file."

"At the rate of about one per second…12 seconds max."

Don whistled.

As they turned into the driveway of Charlie's house, Don said. "Alex, be careful. Look after yourself."

"Don't worry about me Don. I can take care of myself."

"I'll say so."

Charlie murmured something unintelligible.

"Sorry, didn't catch that Buddy," Don prompted.

Charlie spoke up.

"I can't believe you're agreeing with him Don."

Don and Alex shared an uncomfortable look.

"Um…should have watched our conversation," Don said awkwardly. "Charlie, I don't know how to say this. And I am sorry to have to break it to you Buddy. Your student here, is an MI6 operative." Don regrettably broke the news, but it was the only way that he could get Charlie to understand, even if the initial reaction was shock.

"Alex is a…a…" Charlie was so stunned, that he couldn't think properly. Even numbers refused to come to his aid.

"Spy?" Alex supplied. "Though I wish I wasn't."

Charlie looked from Don to Alex, and back again, hoping for it to be all a hoax, only to be disappointed.

"Look, Buddy. You can't let anyone find out about it. Not even the gang," Don warned.

Charlie just got out of the car muttering to himself. "The chances of that happening is less than even one percent…"

Don looked at Alex once again. "There goes the 'prefer if he didn't know' part. But don't worry, he'll be alright, after a while," Don added, seeing the concern on Alex's face, and together, they headed into the house.

That evening; Alex was in his room doing more of his homework, and e-mailing Tom Harris back in England. Charlie came into the room with Peach's file in his hand.

"There you go Alex," he said. "All duplicated."

Alex nodded. "Thanks Charlie," he said. "About this afternoon."

"I overreacted. Should have noticed that you were different. But I was in my own world. As usual."

"You've taken it better than others."

"That's from working with Don," Charlie said, it was clear that he idolized his brother. "Expect the unexpected. Oh, and work on these equations by yourself." Charlie's eyes were twinkling with mischief, completely different from the way he was reacting only moments before.

"Oh Professor!" Alex exclaimed as Charlie walked out the door.

"Just think of it as a test with no time limit," he called back, over his shoulder.


	11. Scabbing

_**Chapter 11: Scabbing**_

CalSci College was bustling with activity as Charlie and Alex arrived. After a quick "I'll see you around" from both of them, they went their separate ways. Charlie, to the maths department and Alex, the Chemistry.

When Alex entered Peach's classroom, the first thing he noticed were the photos of black, brown and red textured castings, that were posted on the whiteboard. The room was all neat and tidy, quite unlike the organised chaos of Charlie's office.

Peach and Munchie entered the room.

"Ah, Alex, you're here nice and early," Peach said, spotting him.

"Wouldn't want to be late Professor," Alex replied. "Besides I couldn't wait to start."

Peach smiled. "We'll still have to wait for everyone else, unfortunately."

"What are those?" Alex asked, gesturing to the images on the whiteboard.

"Photos," Munchie said gruffly, stating the obvious.

"I know, but of what?" Alex asked again, unperturbed.

"I'll be taking the class in about a minute. You'll find out then," Peach said, giving a hard look.

"Sure." Alex sat at his desk, looking around the room, working out the possible places of concealment.

Peach was in the front of the room, setting up her laptop and talking to her assistant in rapid German.

"Better than I thought," she said.

"Has curiosity," Munchie admitted.

"A good student and subject."

"Very fit."

Alex realised that they were talking about him, and started to set himself up for class, whilst planning to hack into Peach's laptop. The other students slowly entered the room, and sat in their seats. Eight males and eleven females, not including one teenager, Alex counted. So he was the only kid that was in a closer contact with Peach.

The lecture began with Peach outlining the effects of mixing hydrochloric acid and sulphuric acid to produce scabbing on the body, indicating the photos displayed on the board.

"This is an actual experiment that I have conducted on a rather willing subject," Peach assured them.

"Willing?" Alex blurted out. "No offence Professor, but I believe that something has to be wrong for someone to be so willing to let you experiment with acids on them."

Alex's statement earned him a murderous glare from Munchie, which he ignored, and caused unsettlement among the students.

"Smart boy," Peach muttered to herself, then spoke up. "That kid had been severely beaten up, and came to me for some help."

No doubt you're responsible for the beating, Alex thought, deciding not to push his luck further.

Peach continued with the lecture as if there had been no interruption, and gave the class a couple of demonstrations on the procedure. But Alex paid no attention, he was too busy taking photos with his camera, of the images on the whiteboard, of Peach and Munchie in the room, and the chemical set up and procedures that they were going through. Alex was puzzling over the slip Peach had given during the first few minutes.

As the lecture came to a close, Peach ended with, "Alex, please stay behind. I'd like to speak to you."

Alex nodded and sat back down. Jane Munchie packed up the pracs and the photos, then left with the rest of the class. Once the room was empty of everyone else, Peach turned to Alex.

"What did you think of that?" Peach asked.

"It was very interesting," he answered. "Sorry about my question earlier on thought, got carried away. I hope it didn't offend you."

"No, not at all," Peach assured him. "In fact, I was wondering when someone would pick it up."

There was a pause, which was then broken by Peach.

"Excuse me Alex," she said. "I'd like to relieve myself of waste products."

"Sure," Alex replied, packing up his things, deliberately leaving his laptop for last.

Peach left the room, and a minute later, Alex had finished stowing his items away, save his laptop. He quickly took out the cables, and connected it to Peach's laptop, sitting on the front desk. It was left turned on. Perfect. Working rapidly, Alex accessed the spider solitaire programme, and watched the timer count down the ten minutes that it would take to completely duplicate all Peach's files into his laptop.

One minute left.

"Excuse me," David's voice cut through the tense silence that had cloaked Alex for the past nine minutes. "Could you tell me where I might find Professor Eppes? He's not in his office, or the canteen."

"Try his class room," Munchie's gruff voice rang in Alex's ears. She was coming back.

_Hurry up!_ Alex thought desperately at his laptop. There was 30 seconds to go.

Thud, Thud. Footsteps were getting louder; closer.

_Come on!_

10 seconds left.

Munchie was getting closer and closer.

5 seconds.

Alex could see the top of Munchie's head bobbing up and down.

2 seconds

The door handle was turning.

1 second.

The door was creaking open.

FINISHED!

Alex quickly pulls away all the cables and stuffed them in his bag as Munchie entered the room.

"What are you doing?"

"Packing up my laptop."

"At the front desk?"

"I was curious to see the view from up here," Alex replied, his mind racing furiously. "And it sure is different."

Munchie glared at Alex. Then said slowly, "Where did the Professor go?"

"Right behind you Jane," Peach's voice came suddenly. Alex and Munchie turned to the doorway.

"How are the equations going?"

"I haven't had a chance to look at them yet. I'll get to it as soon as possible."

"Thanks Alex."

Alex left the room clutching his bag, thinking about how close he had cut it. Then making sure that no-one had followed him, he whipped out his mobile and dialled Don's cell.

"Eppes," Don's voice came over the line.

"Alex," he identified himself.

"Yes, one moment," Don replied, turning to his colleagues. "Excuse me," then walked off to a private corner to take the call.

"Alex, is there something wrong?"

"Depends what you mean by wrong. But no, there's nothing wrong with me. Peach's lecture just then, something came up, thought you'd like to know."

"Ok, fire away kiddo."

Alex recounted the entire lecture putting emphasis on "willing subject" and the photos.

"Interesting discovery."

"I've duplicated all her files onto my laptop, and the photos I took have been automatically sent to you."

"Good job," Don said, walking back towards his team.

"Well, that's it for now. I'm off to work on her equations so I have an excuse to be in her office at times where it might not seem right. Bye!"

"Bye!" Don replied and hung up, while Alex did the same on his side. Don turned to his team.

"That was our informant. A couple of photos have been transferred, and a rather interesting discovery," he said.

"That's great Don. Are you going to tell us who your spy is?" Colby asked.

"No, sorry. Official Secrets' Act."

"Of course."

"Well, your informant is good," Megan said, looking at the images on her boss' computer screen.

"Thanks!" Don said. "Everyone lets get to work analysing these images and comparing them to the vic's scabs."

"On to it," the gang chorused.

"One other thing, Peach has demonstrated the procedure of mixing chemicals to cause the scabbing, and mentioned a 'willing subject'. Probably our vic."


	12. Equations File: Page 1

**_Chapter 12: Equations file – page 1_**

Alex was in the library, working on the first page of Peach's equations when Larry entered, and spotted him immersed in them.

"What d'you doing Alex?" Larry asked.

"Hi Larry. Just stuff for Charlie."

"I'll leave you to it then."

Alex nodded, already returning to his work.

Larry shook his head and muttered quietly to himself, "Another Charlie in the making."

By the end of the day, Alex had finished the first page and entered Charlie's office.

"Alex, I was just wondering where you got to. How was Peach's lecture?" Charlie said as a way of a greeting.

"Rather insightful," Alex answered. "I've worked out the first page of the unknown equations. Could you check it for me?"

"Sure." Charlie took the paper, and looked it over. "Very good Alex. You are a fast learner."

He proceeded to give Alex pointers on how to solve the equations quicker, in less steps.

Alex visited Peach's office at lunchtime, again. Lunch seemed to be the only time he could go about investigating. The door was, as his luck would have it, closed. Sighing, Alex reached for his eavesdropping phone, and listened in to the German conversation occurring behind the door.

"We need to check on our experiments right now."

"I'll wait here for you Peter."

"Don't worry Jane, no one will find out."

"If you say so."

"Third book pulled. Code is…What's the code again Jane?"

"Three-one-nine-seven-two-eight."

Alex quickly committed it to memory.

"Thank-you."

"You need to be more careful Peter. Someone could overhear you."

"And understand? We made sure that nobody around us could understand German. Remember?"

"We can never be too careful."

"Relax Jane. Let's go."

Alex gave t hem a minute before looking through a window. The room was empty. He opened the door and slipped int. With another quick look around, Alex started flipping through the papers on Peach's desk futilely, but he couldn't look for the third book on the shelves lining Peach's office wall at that moment.

Suddenly, Munchie appeared, and startled Alex, who still had some of Peach's documents in his hand.

"What are you doing?" Munchie growled.

"Just came in to give the Professor the first page of the equations."

"Leave them on the table."

"Sure."

Alex placed the equations and the documents on top of the pile he had taken the documents from, and left the room.

Munchie stared hostilely after him.

Don drove Alex and Charlie to school the next day, which gave Alex the chance to tell them of his new discoveries.

Once Alex had finished, Don spoke up.

"Don't you reckon he'd be a good lecturer Charlie?"

"He's have a highly probably chance of success."

"I want to be a footballer, but at this rate, it's very unlikely."

"You never know kid, you never know."

It was a Thursday, so Alex had to endure another three hours of Peach's lecture that was an extension of Tuesday's scabbing. There was noting unusual about it, and as soon as it ended, Alex gave a silent sigh of relief, happy to be able to get away from the classroom.

Only to be held back by Peach.

"I got your calculations," she said. "Great job."

"Thanks Professor," Alex replied. "I'm currently working on the second page, I'll get it to you ASAP."

"Take your time Alex," Peach said, but she was betrayed by the impatient glint in her stunning blue eyes.

"Could you explain what these equations are for to me?"

Peach hesitated and looked at Munchie.

Munchie gave no reaction, but continued to glare at Alex distrustfully.

"Umm…maybe another time," Peach said at last.

"I'll take you at your word," Alex replied.

Peach just nodded and Alex left. Satisfied.

Meeting up with Amita for a rather enjoyable lunch and conversation where Charlie and Larry both weren't present, being too busy with their own work.

"So, how was Peach's lecture?"

"Boring."

"You'll get us to it."

"I suppose. How's your PhD going by the way Amita?"

"Great. I'm getting fantastic marks. Larry's a wonderful teacher. And so is Charlie," she added with a dreamy sigh. It was no secret that she had a crush on Charlie.

"I know."

They finished the rest of their lunch in a companionable silence, before Amita headed off to Larry's office, and Alex to the library.

Alex came to a stop half-way down the third page of Peach's file, and went browsing the shelves for a suitable book to help him. When he saw Peach and Munchie entering the library and taking refuge behind one of the shelves right down the back of the library. The area that most people no longer went. The forgotten section.

Alex followed them stealthily, and turned into the aisle next to the one where Peach and Munchie were hiding in.

Surprisingly enough, they were speaking in English.

"The students seem to have enjoyed the lecture Peter," Munchie was saying.

"Yeah, what should the next lecture be about?"

They were talking about class.

But then, why the forgotten section? Maybe it was by habit.

Alex couldn't care that much. He snuck back to his table and gathered up the file. He went along the hallway and into Charlie's office.

Charlie looked up from grading his papers.

"Alex!" he exclaimed. "Aren't you supposed to be in Peach's class today?"

"Yeah I am," Alex answered, putting the file into his bag. "Can I leave my stuff here?"

"Um…sure. No problems." Charlie answered, shocked.

"Thanks."

With that Alex left carrying the solutions to page two.


	13. Page 2

_**Chapter 13: Page Two**_

Alex raced along the corridor, with the solutions to the second page of Peach's office. He was tempted to use his "Blading Away" function of his shoes, but decided that seeing the place was crowded, it would have just looked weird.

He arrived. The office was empty. It had taken Alex five minutes to race to Charlie's office and drop off his bag, and another five to hurry through the busy corridors to Peach's office. So, he assumed that Peach and Munchie would still be in the library.

Alex slipped into the office and headed straight towards the far walls, where all the books were lined up in a boo case. There were five rows, with a break in the middle.

The third book had to be pulled. Beginning where? Does the break count as a starting point as well? If it did, that meant that there were twenty third books to try. If Alex was going to find the right one, he had to hurry. They were bound to be back soon.

Alex made a decision. He pulled the third book on the top row, on the left of the break. Nothing. Third boo of the top row on the right. Nothing. Third book of second row on left. Nothing. So on. Until he cot to the third book of the forth row on the right of the break.

Once Alex had pulled that book, a red cover, titled – _Body Elements_, the bookcase suddenly slid aside smoothly, revealing a number pad. The number pad was your typical security PIN pad with a twist.

There was paper covering every number save 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, and 9.

Alex smiled. It couldn't be easier. They were the numbers of the security code. Alex tapped in the number sequence, and the false wall split in half and slid to either side, revealing a large spacey room with corridors branching off on either side.

As Alex entered the room, the bookcase slid in place behind him. He would worry about getting out later, but at that moment, he was interested in the layout of the room.

There was a chair in front of the tables, which had Bunsen burners and vials of chemicals bubbling, setting, heating, cooling on them. The chair however; wasn't your ordinary chair. It was one of those comfortable reclining ones that the shrinks' have, with the strange addition of metal cuffs. The cuffs were along the arms, the legs, and where the neck and waist were.

Alex felt a chilled, shiver run down his back. Must have been torture for poor Amy Collins. They weren't willing at all, despite Peach and her assistant's claims. These people were out of their minds.

Alex took snapshots of the chair and the tables of the experiments, then proceeded down the corridor to his right.

The corridor was lined with barred doors that had no peep-holes, so Alex had no idea what was going on behind them, besides he had left his ID card in his bag in Charlie's office.

Alex took photos of the cell doors – they couldn't be anything else – and snuck across to the opposite corridor; which was more of the same thing. Until he experimentally pushed at the third door from the end.

That door was like the others around it, with the exception of the swipe card lock control mechanism. It had a green light, whilst all the others were red.

The door swung open smoothly; to reveal a room with its three wall covered with TV monitors showing the various cells, recording the movements within. Alex was lucky he hadn't been inside one, otherwise his cover would have been blown.

Alex took snapshots of these monitors, including close-ups of the ones where the prisoners were showing. Thankfully, the photos were self-sending. Alex didn't want to think of how much time it would take for that amount of photos going through to Don at the same time.

When he had finally finished his first exploration, Alex glanced down at his watch. An hour had passed. Strange how time flies when you're having fun.

Alex decided it was time for him to leave the secret laboratory, and headed for the concealed door, ready to go out. But…There was no handle.

Alex pushed at the door. It wouldn't budge. Alex ran his hands swiftly, but carefully, across the cold, smooth stone that the door was made of for anything irregular.

After what took to be five minutes – it felt like five hours – Alex found it. A slight bump, right in the centre of the door. He pushed the bump, and the door swung inwards, starting him. If it weren't for the quick reflexes he had developed form his previous assignments and karate practice, Alex would have ended up hurt pretty badly. As it was, the door, had just missed him by a millimetre.

Alex stepped back through the doorway, and back into the office of his suspect, Peter Peach. Alex was lucky, the office was empty. He turned around, and saw that the door hadn't closed yet. Alex reached towards the security PIN pad, pulling the concealing doors back into position. Once closed, the bookcase started to slide back together, one centimetre per second. Too slow.

It may have been the adrenaline that was still pumping through Alex's veins at that moment, but whatever it was, Alex was very alert, his senses had never been more awake. So heightened they were, that he could hear the slight grinding of Peach's office door handle turning. The bookcase was only half-way closed.

Hurry up! Alex silently urged it, nervously staring at the sliding halves. The handle was continually turning. Three-quarters of the way closed, the door opened a crack. Closing, closing, closing…

Whoosh! The office door swung open, just as the bookcase slid shut completely, after what seemed lie an eternity. To reveal Munchie and Peach in the door way.

"Alex!" Peach exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Page two is completed Professor," Alex said, placing the sheet on Peach's desk, and walked out of the office as calmly as he could manage, feeling Munchie's eyes, stabbing daggers into his back, as she closed the door firmly, and locked it.

Alex allowed a sigh of relief escape, before whipping out his phone and eavesdropped on Peach and Munchie.

"—on't trust him," Munchie's voice was saying.

"He's just a kid. How's he supposed to do anything."

"It's not wise to discount every possibility."

"I don't believe –"

At that point, footsteps were getting closer to the office door, and Alex had to get on his feet, least he got caught eavesdropping.


	14. Filing

**_Chapter 14: Filing_**

Friday, a Charlie day, as Alex had taken to calling the days where he had lessons with Professor Eppes.

The teacher and student, were in Charlie's office, after having finished a joint lecture with Larry, highlighting the basics of force, and the calculations involved.

Charlie was explaining to Alex about Risk factors when Colby came into the office with summons for the two if them from Don in the FBI headquarters.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"How's the scabbing match going Buddy?" Don asked.

"The test was a positive. They matched, allowing for a couple of days healing time before the finding of her body," Charlie replied in his lecture mode. "The subject in the photos is definitely the late Amy Collins."

"We should go in and arrest her now!" David suggested in a subtle manner, and the gang murmured their agreement.

But it was broken by Megan.

"All the proof that we have is that the photos were found in her procession, and they were photos of the photos, and even though we have some snapshots of Peach and Munchie standing next to them, pointing thins out, we can't prove how they obtained their photos. They could have got those elsewhere. Think about it," she snapped.

"Those where my reasons too," Don confirmed.

"But we could get your spy to testify," David insisted.

"Yeah, and blow the spy's cover," Don shot back. "Besides, I think it best to wait until further evidence is acquired, now that we are drawing the web around them."

"Classic psychological plan Don," Megan added. "I'm proud."

"Gee, thanks Meg," Don smiled at her, then turned to the rest of the gang. "Dismissed!"

They went out of the conference room disgruntled, leaving the Eppes brothers and Alex behind.

"I got the new images," Don said, once they were completely alone, and everyone was out of earshot.

"What images?" Charlie asked, confused. It never ceased to amaze him, the way that Don had managed to switch personalities within the blink of an eye.

By the way of answering Charlie, Don turned on his laptop, and brought up the pictures for Charlie to see. Making sure the screen was facing the solid wall, and not the windowed walls.

"Wow! This certainly proves their guilt," Charlie said after a while, digesting the new data.

"Not completely," Don said sadly.

"But there are still the computer files I got from Peach's laptop though," Alex added. "They should hold more evidence. We just need to go through it."

"Charlie could go though that quickly," Don replied confidently.

"Sure can do," Charlie piped up.

"I'm going down there again on Monday," Alex whispered, even though nobody was around to here them, sharing his plans with the two brothers. "I'll try and keep in touch, but it might not be possible."

"Why not?" Charlie asked.

"Risk factors Professor," Alex answered, then added as an afterthought. "I still need to work on that section though."

"Your subject, your student," Don teased. "You should've been able to guess Buddy."

"I'm not a shrink Don," Charlie rebutted. "Besides, even if I was, Alex's moves don't fit any equation. They should, but they don't."

"That's his job," Don countered.

"It's true!" Alex added, just to annoy Charlie.

"Of course," Charlie answered after a moment of thinking silence, unprovoked.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Don entered his brother's house the next day asking, "How's the hacked files doing Buddy?"

"Making progress, slowly mind you, but progress nevertheless," Charlie answered. "We're still eliminating files that are least likely to do with the case. At least Peach dates her work."

"Is it possible for me to transfer these files onto a different computer?" Alex asked. "I might need mine before long."

"Yeah, sure," Don answered. "Put them into mine."

"It is a little difficult to go through the files if there needs to be two people working on it at the same time, one to filter and interpret, and the other to operate it, just in case the laptop blows up," Alex said in the way of explanation.

"It's also hard because some of the things I need to do the operating myself, not saying that I can't rely on you Alex, because I can, but it's easier on me. Besides, it also wastes his time," Charlie added.

"Hang on a minute. I'll go and get my laptop from my car so you can transfer the files across Alex."

"Thanks Don" Alex and Charlie replied in unison.

There was a long companionable silence, while Alex transferred the files across, taking acre to avoid the spider solitaire game, after all, he had no will to know more than his fair share of the crimes going on in the world, did he?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After ten minutes or so, Don's laptop beeped and TRANSFER COMPLETE flashed across the screen in big red letters.

Alex leant back. "Well I guess it's finished," he said as Charlie immediately took over the safe, non-explosive laptop, and began working on it, disappearing into his garage for the rest of the day.

Don watched his brother's retreating back, subconsciously shaking his head.

"'Scuse me Don, but I have to get back to some of my own equations," Alex said after a while.

"Yeah, sure," Don shrugged.

Alex walked away, up the stairs and into his room.

"Another Charlie in the making," Don muttered to himself, as he was left to his own devices.

**A/N:Thank-you for all of your reviews so far, though I may seem unresponsive, but each review is very much appreciated. I am trying to answer the questions with the development of the plot. Thanks for the staying with me and my story for all this time.**


	15. James Willows

**_Chapter 15: James Willows_**

Sunday came and went without anymisshaps. Alex had managed to finish off Peach's equations file, and handed his answers for Charlie to check. There were few minor mistakes, but between the two, the decided to leave them there. Don once again joined them for dinner, and a game of chess.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday saw the plan they had hatched last night, over the rather competitive chess game with Don and Alex vs. Charlie, into action. Alex had his phone, ID card and body spray in his pocket. He was wearing his shoes, watch and hearing aid. Finally, to top it all off, Alex was carrying his laptop in his usual manner.

Alex and Charlie headed into Charlie's office and stayed there for half an hour, discussing whatever came to mind, taking care not to mention the case. It was Charlie Day after all. When Alex, then excused himself, looking for a bathroom, which co-incidentally led him pass Peach's office with equations file page three in his hand. Further, co-incidentally, Peach and Munchie were getting ready for a lecture on the other side of the building.

So Alex entered the co-incidentally empty office, and purposefully closed the door firm behind himself. Alex stalked up to the bookcase and pulled the third book of the fourth row on the right from the slight crack in the middle, titled _Body Elements_, towards himself. The bookcase slid open to both sides smoothly, as if they agreed with Alex's purpose. Alex punched in the code and once again, entered the cleverly concealed lab.

Only to see Peach and Munchie in the main foyer, as the wall slid back into place silently, behind him. Alex froze for a millisecond, but a millisecond too much. It had to be then that Munchie looked up, straight into his serious brown eyes, with her piercing brown glare.

That defrosted his limbs, and Alex took the opportunity when Munchie turned back to the experiment, to dive into the left corridor a few meters in. While retrieving a small hand-held mirror from his pocket, and looked around the corner with it; there was a camera hidden behind the mirror connected to Don's laptop. Just as Munchie tapped Peach's shoulder, and pointed to where Alex was standing just moments before.

"I just saw your perfect student standing over there," Munchie said.

"What? You mean Alex, Jane?" Peach replied. "You're too suspicious of him."

"And you're not suspicious enough," Munchie shot back, walking towards the door, and Alex.

"Jane, you're probably seeing things. Com back," Peach ordered.

"I'm going to check it out Peter," Munchie turned, ignoring Peach, and continued to walk towards Alex.

Alex frantically looked around for a hiding spot. Munchie was getting closer and closer.

"Come back Jane," Peach tried again. "Let's go for an experiment before setting up for the lecture."

Could he have gotten it wrong? The lecture hadn't been set up yet.

"We're running late already," Munchie said, pausing just two steps before Alex's corridor.

Alex spied a cupboard further back, and slipped into it as quickly and as quietly as he could.

"Don't worry Jane," Peach said. "Bring the subject."

"If you say so Peter," Munchie muttered and entered Alex's corridor. Alex opened the cupboard door a crack and looked out as Munchie's footsteps faded into the distance. Almost immediately, she returned, pulling a slightly obese boy with short spiky brown hair, by the ropes that bound the boy's wrists together.

Alex heard the clan of metal, followed by the jangle of chains as they had surely clasped James Willows' wrists and ankles in the cuffs of the reclining torture chair, and wrapped the chains around him, just to make sure. Alex felt sorry for the half-drugged, beraggled boy. What was going to happen to him was definitely _not_ going to be good.

Alex snuck out of the cupboard and used his hand-held mirror to peer around the corner and watch the proceedings of the experiment.

James Willows was wide awake by then, with a tremendous amount of fear apparent in his eyes. Alex watched, frozen to the spot for the second time that day, powerless to help, as Munchie forced open the struggling boy's mouth and Peach poured a vile looking vial down his throat.

Immediately James gagged, then a minute later, holes started to appear in James' body randomly, without a particular pattern. Alex watched in horror as James began to shrivel, as the holes became larger and larger, and quicker and quicker. Until all that was left of James was a pile of dirt. Alex couldn't believe that peach and her sidekick could be so cold-hearted. James had died a horrible death, but both of them had just stood there watching, not even trying to help ease James' pain as he was eaten alive, there was no other explanation.

How cold hearted could one get?

"That went well," Peach said after a moment, checking over the pile of dirt, the result of her experiment. "It proves that the decomposing bacteria prefers a damp, slightly acidic and warm environment to working in. There is no difference between the well-being of the subject, with respect to the efficiency of this decomposition."

It was enough to bring Alex back to his senses. Not only did they expect that result, they were pleased with it! Alex snuck back to the cupboard and activated his watch, holding down the adjustment knob for five seconds.

"Don, Peach just experimented on James Willows. His whole body just disintegrated, as you saw," Alex reported as calmly as he could. It was an image that he could not get out of his head, the agony of James' pain.

"We can come in and arrest her now," Don's voice came over the hearing aid, slightly shaking.

"They're going to set up for the lecture, it doesn't take them long, but I don't know what Munchie does after that. I assume she'll come down here to look after the prisoners."

"You're saying that by the time we get there Munchie would have disappeared."

"Precisely."

"So, what would you like us to do?"

"Wait. I'll see what else I can snoop out."

"Careful kiddo."

CRASH!

Alex had fidgeted, and the equipment in his cupboard had come crashing down.

"What happened, Alex?" Don asked, concerned.

"Just knocked something over," Alex replied, peering out of the crack between the cupboard doors. "Oh Darn! Munchie's coming, and I don't have enough time to run!"

"You're going to be caught," Don said, rather unhelpfully.

"Hell yeah," Alex replied.

"I can't get in there now and arrest them, and I'm too far away to pull you out, even though we have all the evidence we need," Don said.

"I'll escape, or at least attempt to," Alex whispered.

"It's wrong to leave you in there," Don replied.

"MI6 have done that so many times already. You at least have a conscience," Alex whispered, pulling the body spray from his pocket and gave the nozzle, one long squeeze.

He had heard footsteps getting closer and closer to his hiding place. Munchie wrenched open the cupboard doors, just as smoke began to billow from the area that Alex had sprayed his body spray. But that wasn't enough to completely hide him from view. Munchie had caught a glimpse of him, as the smoke continued to fill the room.

"Peter! Your perfect little student is in this lab," Munchie yelled.

"Impossible!" Peach exclaimed, walking over to the now deserted cupboard, Alex had slipped pass Munchie's outstretched fingers. Peach luckily knew the layout of the secret lab so well, that she didn't need to see to know where she was going.

By then, Alex had managed to avoid every obstacle and arrived at the exit of the lab. But just as he was about to leave, the smoke cleared…


	16. Escape

**_Chapter 16: Escape_**

The smoke had cleared, Peach and Munchie had turned around to see Alex Rider revealed at the exit, trying to get out. Peach had a disbelieving and shocked look on her face, while Munchie was looking smug.

"Alex!" Peach exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"To snoop no doubt," Munchie muttered, which earned her a hard look from Peach.

"Alex?" Peach asked again.

"Err… I was waiting to catch you, so I could give you page three," Alex answered, holding up the sheet of paper.

"That doesn't answer the question kid!" Munchie snarled.

"Please answer Alex," Peach said, gently.

"Well I was waiting, Professor, then I got bored, so I pulled a book off the shelf," Alex replied.

"That makes sense," Peach nodded. "But how did you get the code?"

"The irrelevant numbers were covered, and I guessed the code. I was waiting for quite a while," he added.

"And how did you know that it was the irrelevant numbers that were covered?" Peach continued to interrogate Alex.

"There was a greater chance, seeing that it was a square piece of paper with holes cut, where only some of the numbers were revealed."

"And the combination?"

"A lucky guess."

"Can't be that lucky," Munchie sneered.

"I have to agree with you Jane, however reluctantly," Peach said sadly, then turned abruptly to her assistant.

"Empty all his pockets, but let him keep his watch and hearing aid," she ordered.

"I'd suggest taking those as well," Munchie put in.

"Let him keep some creature comforts with him," Peach said. "And count-down the time until his death."

"As you wish Peter."

"Lock him up, alone, in one of the cells. You are not to taunt him, nor are you to talk to him at all Jane. Most importantly, don't muck with the things you locate in his pockets, and the laptop."

"Yes Professor."

During the exchange, Alex had bent down and slipped his ID card into his right sock, unnoticed by anyone.

Munchie suddenly turned her attention back to Alex, and walked menacingly towards him, producing strong ropes from seemingly nowhere. She pulled Alex's hands in front and fastened them tightly, cutting off the blood circulation, before Alex knew what had happened. Then proceeded to bind his ankles together, while Alex struggled, catching on to her intent. Munchie pushed Alex roughly in front of her and into a two by two by two cell. Then left with Peach, who told him softly that she would see him later. The door closed behind her with a loud BANG!

Alex waited for a couple of minutes to be sure that both Peach and Munchie were out of earshot, before forcing the ropes that were binding his wrists apart, revealing his watch. With his other hand, Alex struggled, and only just managed to press in the time adjustment knob for five seconds, activating the audio transmission.

"Don, I'm caught, in the lab," he whispered.

"Alex! You had me worried," Don breathed a sigh of relief. "Do they…?"

"Know about me?" Alex suppled. "No, not at present anyway."

"You okay?"

"As fine as I can be in this situation."

"Your position kid?" Don asked, getting into action

"Concealed lab. Last cell on right of first corridor on left, after entry, with two by two by two dimensions. Hands and feet tied. Gadgets taken: phone, laptop, and body spray. Gadgets remaining: watch, hearing aid, shoes and ID card. ID card hidden in right sock," Alex reported.

"Hang in there kid!"

"I'll attempt to escape."

"Be careful."

"If I'm not successful Don, I may not have any contact with you."

Meanwhile, Charlie was sitting in his office, trying to concentrate on his work, trying to act normal, as normal as he was anyway. They had planned, or rather, strategized over the night before.

Charlie's part was the easiest in comparison logically, but to him, it was the hardest. He was to act normally, and pretend not to know anything about Alex save his personality and that he was his student, nothing more. If he should be asked about Alex by either Peach or Munchie, Charlie was to admit that there was something special about Alex, and relate it to maths, then call Don.

Charlie sighed. It was so difficult, he didn't like sitting there doing nothing, worrying about what his brother and student were doing, putting their lives on the line.

"If I'm not successful Don, I may not have any contact with you," Alex warned."

"Charlie has predicted some of Peach's movements, and some of Munchie's, so to speak but Munchie appears to be more random. And Megan's got the profiles sorted. So, it should be fine."

"Still, if I'm unsuccessful, wait twelve hours before coming in."

"Sure you can survive that long Alex?" Don asked, concerned.

"No, but it can't be worse than waiting to be dissected alive, can it?" Alex answered, thinking back to Dr. Grief and Point Blanc Academy.

"Um…I guess not," Don was taken aback.

"Just give me a chance to escape."

"Okay kid."

Leaving the transmission connected, Alex bent down and worked his ID card from his sock, sliced through the ropes that were binding his ankles together, like knife on butter. Then he proceeded to free his wrists.

Alex walked over to the door and examined the lock. He could only just make out the double bolts. The ID blade came in handy yet again, as Alex slipped it through the crack, beneath the bolts and slowly worked it upwards, cutting them.

He pushed at the door, remembering that Munchie had pulled it, realising too late that there was also the swipe release. But the door swung open smoothly, drenching Alex's doubts. He would escape.

Alex stepped out of his cell cautiously and looked around. The corridor was deserted. He sprinted down the hallway, after he made sure that his cell door was closed. Alex headed towards the lab supplies, determined to sabotage some of the chemical reactants, just as Munchie returned through the entrance.

Alex looed around frantically for a place to hide.

"You!" Munchie growled.

Too late! Alex almost hit himself on the forehead, showing his despair.

"I told Peter you were dangerous."

Alex didn't respond, and continued to face the experiment chair.

Munchie advanced towards Alex.

Alex stood, legs apart, centre of gravity low, waiting for Munchie to arrive. Watching her getting closer and closer in the reflection of the chemical cabinet right in front of him.

As soon as Munchie was close enough, Alex spun quickly to face her, thrusting out his right fist at the same time.

Munchie tried to block. Too late!

CRACK! Alex's punch connected with her nose.

Munchie howled in pain.

"Brat!" she spat. "You'll pay for this!"

Munchie picked up a vial of undiluted hydrochloric acid from the tables and brought it up to a throwing position.

"Give me your wrists before I throw this on you," she ordered.

Alex slowly lifted up his hands towards, the taste of defeat sour in his mouth. He was sorely tempted to throw another punch or a kick at her, but the labelled vial in her hand prevented him from doing so.

Munchie reached out cautiously, and took the ID card/blade – which was now back in Alex's pocket. Next, she unclasped his watch and seized his hearing aid, dropped it to the ground, and brought her foot down on it; hard. Finally, Munchie produced metal shackles and cuffed Alex by the ankles and wrists, pushing him roughly into the same cell he had just vacated; unaware of the cut bolts, and slamming the door shut behind him.

Alone once more, Alex sat on the floor of his small cell, thinking about his failed escape…


	17. Escape: Take Two

**_Chapter 17: Escape – Take Two_**

Peach returned to her concealed laboratory after finishing her lecture.

"Jane. Where's Alex?" she asked grimly, unlike her usual cheery self.

Munchie pointed at the cell Alex was currently locked in.

Peach nodded in response, and stalked past Munchie, not taking any notice of Munchie's broken nose, indeed, it was very debatable whether she saw it or not. Peach took out her swipe card, and opened the cell, to find Alex sitting on the ground with metal chains hanging off his ankles and wrists, binding him, and not rope.

"What happened here Jane?" Peach demanded. "I thought my instructions were clear."

"I came into the lab, and found him…out and about," Munchie spat. "The ropes were sawn through."

"How?"

"His ID card," Munchie said producing it from her pocket and gave it to Peach to inspect. "'Careful of the edges."

Peach turned the ID card in her hands, then turned to Alex, who was watching them with amusement.

"You had better tell me everything I want to know Alex."

"Same story Professor. I was waiting for you to give you page three answers. Got bored, and pulled out a random book to read. Number code keys came up and I guess the code. I got into this place and it was smoking thickly. Then the smoke suddenly cleared. And you know the rest," Alex reported the same way he would to the MI6.

Peach nodded.

"And the escape?" she prodded.

"I leant against the door, and it kinda opened, so I hopped out, and found a knife, and cut through the ropes with them."

"You can still hear us with out the hearing aid," Munchie observed triumphantly.

Peach narrowed her eyes as she stared at Alex's ears, looking for the gadget.

"Care to explain yourself Alex?" she asked, patience running thin.

"How about…I can lip read?" Alex returned.

"Why do I find it so hard to believe?" Munchie mouthed.

"Because you don't trust me?" Alex shot back. He had practised the art of lip-reading with Don for the past week.

Munchie was taken aback.

"That just goes to show that Alex does indeed need his hearing aid. Where is it by the way Jane?" Peach said.

"It goes to prove nothing, but his cunning," Munchie replied, ignoring the last question.

"Enough Jane," Peach chastised.

Munchie just muttered to herself in response.

Peach shook her head fondly, then looked at Alex.

"How did you manage to cut your sock?" she asked.

"By not being careful enough when cutting myself free of the ropes," Alex replied, thinking fast.

Peach nodded. "Unfortunately, I shall have to look at the footage before judgement. I have underestimated you. I will not do so again."

The footage. The monitor room. How could he have forgotten?

Alex nodded. "I understand Professor Peach."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_How do I get out of this one?_ He asked himself as both Peach and Munchie left him alone.

Alex was sitting on the floor of the cell, taking comfort in knowing that Don would hear everything that was going on outside his small confines. Assuming, of course, that Munchie still had his watch activated in her pocket. Alex knew that he would be busted. His cover would be blown.

Alex was absorbed in his thoughts when his cell door suddenly swung open.

"You lied to us Alex. You lied to me! How could you?" Peach hissed dangerously.

"Because I was capable of doing it," Alex replied calmly, earning him a cold glare from Munchie.

Peach however; had not heard him, and yelled, "You cut through your bonds with your ID card, which is – by the way – diamond laced. But how you got out of the blasted cell is still a mystery. I am inclined to believe you Alex, despite the fact that you have lied to me. Jane here, lacks judgement when it comes to you." Peach had calmed down by the end of her outburst.

"You'll pay for what you did to my nose," Munchie promised.

"Alex, if that really is your name, you had better tell us everything. No more lies. Jane will be more than happy to hurt you. Don't make me let her loose on you."

Alex sighed and nodded. What choice did he have?

"Good," Peach said. "What's your name?"

"Alex Rider," he answered.

"Using your real name," Peach continued. "Who sent you?"

"People," Alex replied.

"Which people?" Peach asked.

"They can't do magic!" Alex exclaimed, deliberately misinterpreting the question.

"Who are the people?" Peach growled.

"Oh, that's what you mean, the MI6, CIA and FBI. They're all in on it."

"Never knew we were this famous," Peach was delighted.

"Never knew you were this sick," Alex muttered, making sure Peach could just make out what he had said.

Peach sobered up immediately.

"What have you found out?" Peach continued with the interrogation.

"Psychopaths are everywhere," Alex replied.

"Jane!"

Munchie punched Alex in the stomach. Alex tried to dodge it, but his movements were restricted by the shackles.

"Don't make me do that again Alex," Peach said. "What have you found out?"

"You do wacky experiments on the teen students that you associate yourself with, which usually results in their, our, deaths."

"How did you find our about this place?"

"Overheard you talking about it."

"You understand German?"

Alex nodded.

"Told you so. You should've been more careful Peter."

"I know, but there's no use crying over spilt milk is there Jane?"

Munchie gave no response.

"Well Alex, it was nice knowing you. Pity you have decided to pit yourself against me. But, considering how much I liked you, I'll tell you everything,"

"He deserves that Peter?" Munchie questioned.

"He deserved to know."

"If you say so Peter."

Peach's eyes glazed over, she was no longer aware that they were still standing in the cell.

_Here we go again!_ Alex thought. _Story time!_

"I was an only child with a drunkard German as a father," Peach said after a while. "My mother, a legal American citizen, was the one who found work in order to support us. She had to hide as much money as possible from my father, for he would just go out and buy more drink with that what money he had. He was nice enough when he was sober, but, more often than not, beat the both of us up whilst drunk.

"My mother paid for my schooling, and I got good results - especially in Chem. But that drunken bastard didn't care, so long as he had his alcohol. There were times when I continually asked my mum to leave him. Do you know what she said?

"No? I'll tell you! My poor mother kept saying 'I love him, no matter how many flaws.' She deserved a better life, but she didn't leave him. I couldn't understand. I can't understand, even now!

"Life went on like that until I got into college with a scholarship, where I meet a kindly old professor who took me under his wing. Dear Professor Medley, he saw my potential…"

"But not your insanity it seems," Alex muttered.

Peach ignored him and continued.

"…he also saw that I could help bring out Jane's true potential."

"And not to mention. Madness."

Peach glared at him, but didn't comment.

"Professor Medley assigned me Jane's student tutor, and over time, we became the best of friends. Life was as good as it got.

"Then, one night, I arrived home in great spirits, I had just passed my first year with the top marks, only to find my mother's broken and beraggled corpse. She had died. My blasted father had killed her, beaten her up and broken her neck in a drunken rage.

"I was distort. I didn't think I could ever feel again. But I still returned to college the next day, as my mother would have wanted me to, and confided in Jane; my increased loathing of my father and the death of my poor kind mother. It was then that Jane gave the suggestion to do some chemical experiments on him.

"It was perfect. So, that day, after Professor Medley had finished and asked me and Jane to pack up. We slipped some of the demo product into a vial, and I spiked my father's alcohol with it that night.

"He died instantaneously. The chemicals had triggered a violent heart attack, and I was liberated!" Peach finished triumphantly.

"That doesn't explain why you experiment on us teens," Alex prompted.

"Don't you see Alex? Looking around. So many teenagers, so many of them, that haven't had to suffer what I did, that didn't have to go through the pains in life. It wasn't fair. I wanted to teach them about suffering. But you Alex, you are different. I could tell from the moment I laid my eyes on you, from your eyes, that you have been through a lot. You have suffered, even more than I had to. We're kindred spirits, you and I."

"You're nuts!" Alex yelled. "You belong in an asylum!"

Munchie kicked at Alex's legs without any warning.

Alex managed to jump over the kick.

"I like you Alex, but I don't like being lied to. I have a lecture now, and once I return, I shall try out this chemical mixture on you," Peach said, holding up a vial of red liquid. It is designed to cause profuse bleeding, until you die.

"Jane, leave the watch and ID on this bench, and be sure to lock his cell _properly_ this time."

Munchie nodded.

"Oh, and one other thing Jane. Don't play with his instruments."

Munchie nodded again.

With that, both mad scientists left his cell, with Munchie turning around briefly, to electronically lock his cell, still oblivious to the cut bolts.

Amongst their departing footsteps, Alex managed to hear Peach's order.

"Hide his laptop."

By then, Alex had already decided to leave his laptop behind, knowing for sure that Peach would get Munchie to go through it sometime.

He gave them about ten minutes' head start, before getting up off the ground with difficulty and leaning casually against the 'locked' door, and out into the open. Alex sneaked to the experiment benches and picked up all his gadgets that Peach and Munchie had taken away from him, save his laptop of course. He pocketed everything after sawing off the lengths of chain connecting his cuffs and clasped on his till active watch.

"Don, I'll need to call you up. Hang on," Alex spoke into the transmitter.

Alex deactivated his watch and called Don on his phone.

"Are you alright there kid?" Don asked, concerned. "I heard your exchange with Peach."

"As good as can be expected."

So how are you going to get out?"

"I'll just change the variable at need."

"Right…" Don said slowly, confused.

"I have to get out."

"You have to show us the way in. Sorry kiddo, but we really need you to, even though we have the video evidence, and the mirror is broken, we still need to get in and arrest the two."

Alex heard the exit sliding open.

"I'll get back to you," he whispered hurriedly, before disconnecting.

Munchie entered the lab.

"Why can you never stay in your cell?" she growled.

"Because I don't have to," Alex answered.

"I'll be glad to throw this at you," Munchie continued, picking up the vial of undiluted hydrochloric acid again.

"And I won't hesitate to cover you in this," Alex responded, lifting up his body spray."

Munchie cackled maniacally.

"What? With a runout bottle of body spray?" she sneered. "What can it do?"

"This…" Alex replied good humouredly, and pressed the nozzle down.

Smoke filled the room a second time, obscuring Alex from vies, and he took that opportunity to escape through the exit…

Only to see Peach enter her office.

Alex frantically looked around for a place to hide, but Peach had already spotted him.

"Alex!" she exclaimed.

He was already close to the door, while Peach had been nearer to her desk when she saw him. So Alex did the first thing that came to mind. He sprayed the body spray for the third time that day, and escaped through the door.


	18. Return

**_Chapter 18: Return_**

Once outside Peach's office, Alex activated the roller-blades component of his shoes with the simple 'Blading Away' command, and braced himself to be thrown off balance, but it never happened. The shoes had managed the transition smoothly, and within seconds, Alex tore down the corridor with great speed, startling the passer-bys, on his way to Charlie's office.

Although Alex had arrived in record time, the office was devoid of the person he was looking for. He paused, balancing carefully on his wheels, and called up Charlie.

"Charlie, where are you?" Alex asked once he picked up.

"In my lecture room," Charlie replied.

"I'll meet you there. Finish your lesson ASAP."

"Sure."

Alex went back into the corridor and headed towards Charlie's lecture room. Halfway down the hallway, he met up with Don and sixteen other men waring ordinary civilian clothing, but Alex didn't doubt that there were weapons hidden beneath.

"Peach was in her office when I last saw her, Munchie's in the lab. Charlie is in his lecture room, not his office. I'm going there to meet him now," Alex reported.

"OK. You two come with me and Alex to Charlie's lecture room. Colby, you and David take the rest of the men to Peach's office. We'll meet you back there in a minute," Don ordered.

"Just a slight problem Don," Colby said. "Where in the hell _is_ Peach's office?"

"We don't know where Charlie's lecture room is either," David added helpfully.

Don sighed. "What about this? We all go and see Charles, then go down to the secret laboratory together."

"Yes sir," the agents chorused.

With that, Alex and Don led the group down the hallway and into Charlie's lecture room.

By the time they arrived, the were almost trampled by the stampede of students that were just dismissed from class.

"Don, Alex, men…" Charlie said when he saw them, and the students were out of the way.

"Charlie, you stay here with these two men," Don said swiftly, indicating Charlie's new body guards.

"If it's alright with you Don, I'd rather be in my office," Charlie said.

"Then go to your office, and stay there," Don ordered.

"Yes sir," Charlie piped promptly.

"Look after yourself Buddy," Don said softly.

Charlie nodded, and left with the two agents escorting him.

"The rest of you come with me to the lab," Don turned to his men.

"Yes sir," they chorused.

"Lead the way Alex," Don said without looking at him.

Alex headed towards the exit.

"What! We're following a kid?" David asked outraged.

"Yes," Don said firmly. "Alex, if you will."

"Why?" David continued.

"Do you know the way?" Don responded. That shut David up. "No more questions."

Alex led the sixteen strong group into Peach's now empty office.

Don pointed at three of the agents, and signalled for them to stay, in the unlikely event that Peach returned to her office.

Alex opened the entrance to the concealed laboratory, and Don raised his eyebrows as the doors slid open.

"Neat," he whispered.

Alex gave a small smile and led the remaining thirteen men, including himself and Don, in. He produced his ID card and electronically unlocked the cells he had brought the agents to. Which caused Don to raise his eyebrows once again.

"Microchip integrated, to unlock swipe doors," Alex explained, continuing along the corridor.

The FBI agents gave Alex a shocked look then entered the opened cells, to coax the terrified teenagers out. The teens were sent out of the lab; Alex had opened the door, in groups of five to the three men standing guard in Peach's office. But just as the third, and final, group got to the door, Munchie appeared with a spray vial of hydrochloric acid.

"Don't move, or I'll spray the undiluted HCl over you!" she shouted.

"What is it with you and undiluted hydrochloric acid?" Alex scoffed. "That's the third time you've threatened me with it today."

"You…you…you have tested my patience long enough," Munchie spat at Alex, only having just noticed him.

Don had taken Alex's play of distracting Munchie to quietly herd the remaining teens out.

Munchie started to approach Alex.

"You are going to die today," she snarled.

"You have the higher chance at death today," Alex said, approaching Munchie as she did him.

"Don't you want to go through my laptop?" Alex continued talking.

They paused in their approaching.

"Of course I do," Munchie replied wistfully.

"I might tell you the password Jane," Alex said. "Depends though…"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" David hissed. "Leave the talking to the pros."

"Shut up David," Don shot back quietly.

Alex ignored them and continued to speak, "Tell Peach to come out, and I'll tell you my password."

"Why?" Munchie queried suspiciously.

"I've go all the stuff that I found out in that laptop," Alex stalled.

"Alex!" a voice suddenly exclaimed for the right. Peach had appeared.

"Back again?" she asked, suddenly hostile.

"I'll kill all of you. Rider, just give me the code," Munchie yelled, as her brown eyes flashed with an insane glint of light.

It was the first time she had called him by name, Alex noted.

"You're not to touch it," Peach ordered her assistant.

"I don't care Peter," Munchie answered, turning to face Peach with the spray vial of hydrochloric acid. "I've listened to you for so long, deliberately letting you take charge, and subtly playing out my plans. I've poisoned your mind. But no longer. It is about time I had my fun."

Munchie backed off to find Alex's laptop.

The agents were watching the play between Alex, Peach and Munchie with interest. When Don finally came to his senses, he snuck up behind a flabbergasted Peach and cuffed her.

"Peter Peach, you are under arrest for the murder of Amy Collins and James Willows, and for the abduction of eighteen teenagers and holding them against their wills."

At that point, Munchie took up the vial of hydrochloric acid, and sprayed it in the general direction of Peach, having just located Alex's laptop. Fortunately, the acid droplets landed short of the group, but where they did touch, small craters had appeared in their place.

"Code! Tell me the code!" Munchie cackled like a witch.

"Three-one-nine-seven-two-eight," Alex answered calmly, it was the same code as the security entrance to the lab.

Munchie stopped her maniacal laughter, sprayed the acid once again and turned on the laptop. Then typed in the password.

There was a pause of one second. It seemed to be all eternity.

Then…

A brilliant flash of light appeared, consuming the laptop and Munchie. All that was left of them was a pile of ashes and a single message from Smithers.

"Alex old chap. What have you done now?"

There was a stunned silence, that was eventually broken by Don.

"Colby, seal off the crime scene," he ordered. "Team, lets do our jobs before heading back."

**A/N: **One chapter left


	19. Epilogue

_**Epilogue**_

_Two weeks after Peter Peach's arrest_.

Alex Rider was sitting in Mr Donovan's maths class, trying to listen to what he was being taught, and failing miserably. He was falling asleep in class, when the phone he was given for the assignment beeped.

Alex looked at the Caller ID.

"Sorry sir," he apologized. "It's Professor Eppes."

Mr Donovan nodded in acknowledgement, just managing to keep a smile off his face.

"Hello," Alex answered the phone.

"How's life?" Charlie asked.

"Perfect Professor," Alex replied.

"Charlie," he corrected Alex's address automatically.

"Just perfect Charlie," Alex repeated, knowing that Charlie would have a hard time not correcting his response. Nothing was perfect; nothing could ever be perfect, except the golden ratio.

"Keeping your math skills up?" Charlie asked conversationally.

"Yes Charlie, particularly as I'm in maths class right now," Alex answered, conscious of the class watching him.

"What topic?"

"Trig."

"All the equations?"

"No, not yet."

"Don't worry. I'll teach you over the net at eight tonight, your time."

"Thanks Professor. I've got to get back now. The class is staring at me."

"Ummm…Sure Alex. Talk to you later," Charlie replied and hung up.

Alex did the same on his side.

"Sorry sir," he repeated.

"That's fine by me. Professor Eppes is renowned for his enthusiasm," Mr Donovan answered and continued teaching.

"That was quick," Don said, watching his brother hang up the phone. "I'd have expected you to talk to Alex for hours yet, before I had my go."

"Well, he was in class," Charlie answered. "Math class."

Alex had tuned out of class once more, thinking back to the debriefing Blunt and Jones had given him when he had returned to England.

"Good job Alex," Blunt had said. "It seems like you've formed a strong relationship with the Eppes brothers."

"We kinda had to, and we did get on well," Alex replied.

"You did very well Alex," Mrs Jones reinforced.

"Yes, very well, even if Munchie did get blown up. I'm not happy about it. And Peach was captured alive," Blunt agreed.

"And we don't have to give you a medical certificate this time," Mrs Jones added.

"The reason for your quick return here, is that you met a teacher that bullied you around. You injured him whilst defending yourself, and it was cleared up while you were still on the plane home. The teacher was then arrested and fired. None of this will be added to your public file," Blunt said.

"Thanks," Alex replied. He didn't think how he could explain it to his friends if they asked.

"And Colin. Remember him?" Mrs Jones asked.

Alex nodded. Colin was the guy that started off all of this. The guy that had taken the class hostage.

"He got into the school by getting a visitor's pass from the school secretary. She thought he was the probationary new computer technician, there for the job interview," Mrs Jones continued. "Thought you might like to know."

"Thanks," Alex repeated.

"Once again Alex, you did a wonderful job," Mrs Jones congratulated whilst Blunt just nodded in agreement.

Alex had left then returned to school the day after.

"Alex!" Tom Harris hissed, breaking into his thoughts.

"Yes Tom?" Alex asked.

Tom just jerked his head at the head teacher standing in front of the classroom in response.

"Sorry sir," Alex apologized. "Just tired."

"Understandable, considering…," Mr Bray – the head teacher – said. "So Alex, what's the answer to question two on the board?"

Alex looked up at the blackboard, taking all the figures and diagrams.

"The square root of two," he answered within thirty seconds.

Mr Bray looked at Mr Donovan, who nodded.

"Perfect."

When the day finally ended, Alex headed home.

"Hi Jack!" he yelled into the house at Chelsea. "I'm back!"

To which Jack Starbright, his housekeeper and close friend responded.

"Welcome home!"

_**The End**_

**A/N:** Thanks for all of you who have kept with me throughout the journey, and have had the patience for this story. Thanks for all of those that have reviewed and given their support and words of encouragement. I hope I have answered all your queries, and cleared up all the confusing sections of the story along the way, if not, just give me a yell.

As for the disclaimer, for those that are wondering, it is just the standard: the characters belong…and ya di da di da… you all know how the rest goes.

The sciency stuff was made up, I don't even know if it is true or not.

I hope that my lack of interaction with you, my dear readers, didn't cause any offence.

Well, I hope to see you next time.

Until then…

Goodbye.


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